Journey to Snowpoint City
by 122 Generation
Summary: There is a reason everyone wants to challenge the seventh Gym last if they can help it. Experience the rich atmosphere of Snowpoint City, the cold trials, warm friendships and rewards a certain Trainer (who hates the cold!) will find in this venture. Spinoff from Catharsis, sequel to Christmas This Year.
1. Starting on the Wrong Foot

**I've completed this story before, back when I was in 12th grade, but now I'm a university student, so I can't write as much as I used to.**

**Nevertheless, this _is_ the story I completed back in 12th grade!**

**As a favour to InfernusXS and to all readers who enjoy reading a reformed ex-criminal named Mars, please read this story!**

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><p><strong>The Road to Snowpoint City<strong>

_**Chapter one: Starting on the Wrong Foot**_

**September 12**

Mars really didn't have a choice when it came to choosing her footwear, as she was tasking herself with the ludicrous journey to Snowpoint City to obtain her eighth and final Gym badge. Although the technical order was obtaining the Sunyshore City Gym badge last, there was a reason Mars, like any common Pokémon Trainer, wanted to challenge the northern Snowpoint City Gym last: it was because of the cold and blizzard. Currently, her everyday footwear was a pair of standard all-purpose running shoes. In truth, she really could walk in the snow with them, but they wouldn't spare her the luxury warm feet in a city so far in the north. Indeed, she wore these same shoes during Christmas season, but this climate was different.

The same went for her gloves, although Mars didn't wear her own pair much.

"Made up your mind, lass?" the employee asked as he walked to the cashier.

"Uh… not yet," was the answer.

The Pokémon Trainer and former Team Galactic Commander concluded that the most efficient way to travel to Snowpoint City was to store the clothes and boots in her _bottomless-like bag_ until she had approached higher ground – that is, the higher ground of Mount Coronet. Choosing carefully in the store, she selected the initial shell-like jacket and pants (black with red trims, for Mars' taste), a pair of boots not unlike those she wore in the days with Team Galactic, and very thin and flexible but warm gloves. Mars brought the contents to the cashier's desk.

"That all, lass?"

With Mars giving a polite nod of approval, the employee went to work, scanning and typing codes belonging to their respective attire.

"Thirty thousand Pokedollars, lassie."

Mars paid for the clothes with her HSBC bank card. After receiving her receipt, she neatly folded the clothes into her bag, and putting the boots in. By the time Mars had thanked the employee and left the shop, she felt like she was ready for anything.

The next hour was mainly spent on buying food and water supplies for the inevitable journey. Mars purchased bottles of water and lemonade, followed by select apples and savoury biscuit sticks from the local market store in Hearthome City. Again, after paying for her supplies, Mars set about walking the route west in the direction of Mount Coronet – that is, Route 208.

"I guess I could use some company here…" she murmured, getting the feeling she was alone. Mars took out a Poké Ball in her bag and threw it in the vast space in front of her. "Go! Purugly!"

The red-and-white capsule burst open with a _BANG_ and a very serious-looking tiger cat, a very big and plump one, come to that, landed on the ground. In short, it was a Pokémon named Purugly. She had been Mars' companion since she was a little girl and as long as Mars could remember (when Purugly was a Glameow!).

"Know where we're going, Purugly?" she asked her Pokémon, and to her unsurprised surprise the Pokémon walked ahead of her through the route, running past a berry house, tall grass, and stopping abruptly at the foot of a flight of steep stairs. Mars, on the other hand, spent precious seconds looking at her watch. It was still morning, so she didn't need to be THAT worried about nightfall.

Brushing past annoying waves of green webs, Mars met with Purugly at the stairs, and the two began to hike up the stairs at the same pace.

Looking behind, Mars looked down from high ground to see a temperate rainforest covering what was the eastern half of the Sinnoh region. Below, she could see those trees surrounding the city lights of Hearthome City.

"Better be ready for this…" she told herself, and walked into the dark cavern that was the base of Mount Coronet.

With the dense amount of people frequently traversing between the cities of Hearthome and Oreburgh, the two municipalities felt the need to redevelop the road between them was imminent. However, with an endless number of Pokémon who reside in the mountain's natural state, the project had to be done in the most eco-friendly manner. In the end, the project was completed, and an effective road was established.

For the route to Snowpoint City, in contrast, the trail was used rarely by pretty much anyone who lived in Sinnoh, let alone outsiders, because the route meant traversing the _entire_ mountain. The municipalities who were interested in developing such a road scrapped the idea immediately. Not only because it was expensive, but also because it (the route and road) was long and dangerous.

Fortunately, Mars knew half the mountain in the days of her then-criminal career, so…

_The first thing to do is…_ she thought. _Right. We have to do some rock-climbing._

The development at least provided limited lighting for navigation ease. Following those lights, Mars veered away from that road and in the direction where there was no light (that is, to her right, which was northbound).

Dripping noises of water fell from stalactites above.

The discomforting crescendo of them increased as Mars and Purugly got closer to the impossibly steep-and-jagged wall. Securing her bag, Mars looked up and tried to remember how she did it before.

_There _was_ a trick,_ she thought. _What was it again?_

"Yo!" a voice rang out from above, which forced Mars to look up to see where it came from.

It was only an innocent hiker.

"Do you know the way to the Spear Pillar?!" he called from above.

Mars racked her brains and memories to remember the route. She didn't know if it was second nature or anything, but back then when Team Galactic drove and forced Mars to memorise the entire route to Spear Pillar to fulfil the then-failed mission, she had no problem knowing the way there.

"You'll keep going up those stairs and you'll run into a cavern!" she shouted upward. "There's a supposed broken-down destroyed wall there, and you'll end up at the summit. Just keep navigating, and you'll wind up at the summit!"

The hiker waved. "Thanks! By the way, do you need help with anything in return?"

A sudden thought came to Mars' mind and it was a dreadful feeling. It wasn't that she didn't know her way around Mount Coronet, but she nearly forgot that she had never travelled to Snowpoint City before. She realised that if she knew her way to Spear Pillar but _not_ to Snowpoint City, then she might have a problem.

"Can I ask which is the way to Snowpoint City?" she uncertainly asked.

"Snowpoint?!" the hiker exclaimed, as if he was surprised to see Mars was here at all. "There's a much safer and shorter route besides traversing the mountain! You've got to get to Eterna City first, and then you can try your luck at getting to Snowpoint! That way's much shorter and safer! Go that way!"

What motivation Mars had in her was quickly replaced by frustration.

"NO! BLAST! WHY?! WHYYYYYYYYYY!" she stomped her foot. Turning around, she tore off for the entrance to Oreburgh City (opposite Hearthome). There was a highway that hled directly up to Eterna City, though since it was located on higher round, and Mars had a bag full of many travelling goods, she was bound to be exhausted by then…

The worst part was, Mars and Purugly had wasted precious daylight time!

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><p><strong>This is the beginning of the great, cold, dreadful, dark, bright, light journey...<strong>


	2. No Sense of Direction

**Some might understand that Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, let alone Platinum, may be outdated. Hey, don't worry, Sapphire was and may still be my all-time favourite. Enjoy the read! If this is your first time reading this, I encourage you to read 'Christmas This Year'.**

**Merry Christmas!**

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><p><em><span><strong>Chapter two: No Sense of Direction<strong>_

Consequently, Mars was forced to restart her barely-started journey from the western half of the Sinnoh region, with her journey starting from the boundaries of Eterna City. Adjusting her bag straps to ease the weight on her shoulders, she prepared to approach Mount Coronet again.

After a hasty lunch in Eterna City, Mars ran off to the entrance of the iconic mountain. Upon reaching the entrance, she gazed up at the sight of the mountain. To be honest, it looked a lot bigger from where she stood as opposed to the view from Hearthome City.

Her motivation and frustration suddenly had shards of fear jabbed into it.

"Wonderful," Mars grumbled as she walked into the cave entrance. "What could I do if I get lost? At least I've got supplies."

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><p>A sight of near-pitch black darkness greeted Mars' eyes, only to be thankfully and dimly illuminated by many shards of reflective stones embedded in the cave walls. Aware of a chasm-like slope in front of her, Mars carefully began her descent.<p>

_Dangerous_, she thought. _I can't imagines how people actually get through here. Even my former Team Galactic guys went through here nonetheless._

Climbing down rock by rock, Mars felt her feet finally hit solid and flat, rocky, ground.

What worried Mars most was the amount of time the climbing took. The dark surroundings proved nothing useful to her climbing, so she would have to climb blind. But some of her friends in Floaroma Town claimed it was better to do climbing blindfolded. Alas, if it was nightfall by the time she made it through…

"Huh? What is it, Purugly?" the red-haired Trainer, Mars, raised an eyebrow at her Pokémon (who, amazingly, freely jumped out of its Poké Ball). The latter made an obvious movement pointing at Mars' bag.

"Oh, right, I do have a flashlight!" she said as if a lightbulb had lit up and flashed directly above her head, where the light shined! Now with her feet firmly planted on the ground, she put her bag in front of her, put an arm in it, and clawed for the hand-sized flashlight she absentmindedly purchased in Hearthome City. How could this be absentminded?!

Now the flashlight, an inch wide in diameter, was in her hand. Mars turned it on with a press and click of a button. If an inch-wide flashlight was only an _inch_ wide, it would only give her limited light. However, at least she would have some means of light nonetheless.

How wrong she was.

The light, a bright, solid, white beam, burst out of its container and illuminated just about every light stone in the area where Mars was standing in. Even the stones not in the light's path were at the very least reflecting some of the light's brilliance. It certainly made all the difference. Mars could see a lot more than she asked for!

"Oh, Purugly, thanks," Mars patted her tiger cat-Pokémon on the head. "Now we're finally getting somewhere, aren't we?"

Purugly could only happily purr.

The duo then began to travel forward. Before they did, though, Mars flashed a light upward to see where she had actually climbed from.

"We're pretty deep down," she stated. "There's no telling if we'll make it out of here by nightfall. Honestly, though, I hope it's not nightfall yet!"

No turning back? Maybe not. But that would mean Mars would have spent an entire day doing nothing, except wasting time looking for a road through Mount Coronet!

At least, as Mars was soon to know as she walked, there was some proof that Trainers really did venture through here. A series of manufactured stairs lay at the end of the tunnel. Machine and laser-cut steps, as Mars analysed.

With her Purugly's strength, they pushed fallen boulders away and broke rocks in their path to speed up progress. When that was over with, they walked down the stairs, each obstacle rolling and bouncing off the steps and ended up with a thundering sound (a rumble) that rebounded off the walls and shook the cave.

Swinging her flashlight forward (in this case, downward), Mars could finally see the bottom of the stairs, and many more light stone shards embedded in the walls guiding the way ahead. Puruguly, like Mars, didn't need to be reminded that they were underground. Despite possible events or outcomes, Mars wasn't scared nonetheless. She had travelled to the summit before, after all.

But travelling to Snowpoint City?! Her former Team Galactic colleague Jupiter had travelled there before, let alone crossing the route through Mount Coronet. Sometimes, once in a while, Mars would always question why she ever wanted to tackle the mission her former crime boss Cyrus had assigned her at Lake Verity. Was it because of the warmer climate? Or was it because of the bitter cold? Either way, it all pointed to the fact that it was cold.

No wonder Mars wanted to take on Lake Verity in the first place.

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><p>Deep within Mount Coronet, where temperatures began to drop, Mars stopped for a well-deserved break and shared some food with Purugly from her bag, whilst finally extracting that jacket of hers and putting it on over her red sweater and black dress. Purugly, meanwhile, helped herself to a couple of apples from Mars' bag as Mars was busy.<p>

Mars then twisted and opened a bottle of fresh water, and within moments she had downed a quarter of the bottle before realising how thirsty she was. Although she had travelled only a somewhat long distance, the closing space and simulated feeling of being underground somehow made her throat dry (for the most part, Mars noticed, due to the concealed stuffy air).

"It sure feels like a long road," she said to Purugly, who went on to munch on the apples. Watching Purugly eat, Mars reached into her bag to grab an apple to eat also. For only a few moments, Mars could rest a bit. At least the underground lake provided a rich source of light to guide the way ahead, surprisingly.

When their break was over with, Mars discarded the remains of her apple for Purugly to finish. She screwed the cap on the water bottle tight, packed it, and securely zipped her black jacket on. It was hard to breathe, yes, and it only became a little demanding with the temperature decrease.

The duo cautiously walked onward, past the lake by their side, to approach a fairly large hole in the wall. Judging by the size of the hole and the direction it was going in, the Pokémon Trainer guessed it was at least infrequently used by travellers. By the time Mars had passed through, she realised the other side was so dark that she had to stop to take her flashlight once more to examine the area.

"Oh. My. Gosh."

The sight was disheartening to see; right to the point of intimidation.

Mars found herself standing at the bottom of a very high and steep slope, sort of like a miniature mountain within the mountain. Actually, it was really close to being at the bottom of a canyon, where Mars felt she had fallen into a crevasse.

Unfortunately, progress was never going to happen unless she moved. Reluctantly, the Pokémon Trainer walked forward to find a way ahead. If all was well, she wouldn't have to make the climb. That is, the climb up and out of the canyon.

Mars hit a dead end of piled boulders. With the amount of rocks and massive obstacles sticking together such that it formed a barricade, it would take a miracle to get all of these cleared. Wonderful. Now where else could Mars go? The only option was to search for more options by the use of her flashlight. There were steep walls surrounding her sides, which she deduced were too steep to climb, with a barricade-like obstruction in front and the original path where she came from earlier.

Looking to her right, there was also a blind corner.

"Whoa. Didn't see that," she said, half-surprised.

Using the light stones, Mars analysed that behind the corner was another steep slope, but was nevertheless not so tightly angled in comparison to the intimidating cliff-like walls from behind and beside her before.

"Hmm… I think I'd better check where I'm going…" Mars decided, thinking and under the impression she might have made a mistake not unlike before. As a result, Mars glanced at her watch (a sort of all-purpose watch, called a Pokétch, complete with programs and apps like calculators, digital and analog clocks, maps, dowsing machines, etc.).

She sighed when she gazed at her compass app.

"No wonder the climbing looks bad from here," she told Purugly. "We're going south, which in turn goes to the summit and away from Snowpoint. We have to turn around."

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><p><strong>Let's find out where Mars is heading next...<strong>


	3. Clearing the Cold Road

**Aw... not only is this story unpopular, but I'm rarely getting any views of this story, let alone a review. (cries*)**

**But I really like this story, since it features the Mars from 'Catharsis', so... here I am.**

**Plus, I'll guarantee that this chapter may make you feel cold...**

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><p><em><span><strong>Chapter three: Clearing the Cold Road<strong>_

About two hours later, with the duo cautiously heading north now, Mars guided the way ahead using her flashlight. The trail was smooth and flat so far, never mind the jagged edges of rock on the ground, and as they went further ahead they descended down another flight of stairs.

It was starting to get much colder, too. Colder than before. Mars could feel her head starting to numb and the heat in her face freeze. Subsequently, Mars also felt goosebumps ripple through her chest and spine, and her teeth chatter. Ah, yes, the cold. The same cold Mars never liked for as long as she knew herself.

_At least it's a flat road_, Mars thought. That was more than enough for her, given her disdain for the cold ahead.

As they walked, Purugly took into account of the new underground lake by their side. It certainly looked bigger compared to the lake they had passed before, but this one, oddly, had a thin layer of _frost_ covering the entire surface. Running water trickled and flowed underneath it, most part due to the current of the lake.

And that wasn't the last of Mars' worries! There was also the serious matter if she could get out of the mountain by nightfall.

_It sure feels like it's getting dark_, she thought. _That's bad._

The duo finished walking down the cut-down rock stairs to head through another straight path. Like before, there were intensely reflective light stones embedded all around and in the lake, which provided another effective and rich source of light, despite the light stones already embedded in the walls. While the cave walls were naturally dark for the most part, the light stones were sufficient.

Purugly charged ahead like she was on a reconnaissance mission. Mars, in contrast, upheld her casual pace as she walked and using her flashlight alone to guide the path ahead.

CRAAAAAA

The predictable sound and rumbling of a falling rock was evident in Mars' ears.

"Agh!" Mars screamed.

She instinctively jumped back (thankfully having all-purpose running shoes). Within six seconds a slide of rocks tumbled on the path in front of her. As Mars determined, they were falling from the high slope across the lake (also known as Mars' side). Their momentum, speed, and energy forced some rocks to rebound off the ground and into the lake below with numerous splashes. Others landed perfectly on the pathway and practically blocked the road.

"Great…" Mars muttered gloomily and sarcastically. "Shame that Snowpoint City and Eterna City couldn't develop this road. Purugly, we're going to need to clear these boulders one by one."

Her long-time Pokémon friend responded indifferently.

"What do you mean, 'Not only me'?" Mars crossed her arms. "Who else could I bring out other than you? Hmm?"

The tiger-cat Pokémon raised an eyebrow, and then Mars slapped her forehead afterward.

"Oh, of course…" Mars muttered as she reached into her bag's side pockets to bring out another Poké Ball. The Trainer, Mars, threw it to the distance in front of her. "Go! Kangaskhan!"

A massive Pokémon emerged from the Poké Ball, just roughly taller than Mars by a metre. The Pokémon had the appeal of an armoured dinosaur and, to a very, very strict extent, a kangaroo, given the pouch on its belly. Kangaskhan was thick, it had a shielded head (that is, the top was dome-shaped and polished). Not only that, but Kangaskhan's pouch had a baby Kangaskhan in it. How cute!

"It's time to clear the road, ladies," Mars declared, taking into account that both Purugly and Kangaskhan were females. "Push these off the ledge."

Kangaskhan went to work alone as Mars and Purugly jointly moved the boulders together. Judging by their combined strength and the amount of boulders that landed on the path: getting rid of all of them was no easy feat.

_Splash!_ The first boulder, pushed by the parent Pokémon (Kangaskahn) rolled off the side slope and tumbled to the water below with a watery crash.

"Okay, Purugly, we've almost got this!" the Pokémon Trainer rallied. She was using both of her hands to push the boulder. While her efforts did reveal some effort, it was still a really big boulder. Mars would have to wait for Purugly to often charge at the boulder from a distance to give an edge. The boulder the duo was working at rumbled down the slope and landed in the water in a spectacular fashion. That is, a loud splash!

"Awesome, Purugly –" Mars started.

A loud rumbling cut off Mars' words, and she realised that a thick boulder, another one, had rolled off the slope and into the water, courtesy of Kangaskahn.

"You too, Kangaskahn," Mars timidly said, but with a smile.

After hauling the remainder of massive boulders off the path and clearing anything else into the lake, Mars recalled Kangaskahn into her respective Pokémon, while at the same time careful not to make a lot of noise. Mars then proceeded forward with Purugly alongside.

At the edge of the underground lake, Mars and Purugly approached a flight of cut-out rock steps illuminated by radiant light stones above, as if they were beacons or street lights. With no other route or alternate option other than turning around, the duo marched upward. Even if Mars turned around, there was also the possibility that she would get lost. Oh, if only she could visit Floaroma Town just for a minute or two right now… but she pushed those thoughts aside and kept going forward.

Sometimes, Mars even forgot that she really was underneath a mountain.

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><p>But as Mars kept walking up, and despite she was wearing a heavy coat, her nose started to feel numb as she breathed. Her cheeks felt dry. The heat in her thighs drained away and felt uncomfortable, even though her legs felt perfectly warm. While it wasn't <em>that<em> physically cold in the dark caverns of Mount Coronet, Mars felt cold on the inside. The light stones somehow had their light _dim_, and Mars alone felt a chill crawling from her spine all the way to the tips of her toes.

"Brr!" Mars shook off the feeling. "We'll go for a break soon. Okay, Purugly?"

Purugly purred along.

They did reach the top of the stairs in the end. Nevertheless, it was starting to feel much colder than before and if not for a layer of humidity trapped at the ceiling of this particular room, it would have been nearly unbearable to proceed further.

All Mars wanted, and wanted to do, was to grab some rest, and preferably in some place warm. When finally she did find a somewhat comfortable spot in the cavern, she placed her bag on the ground and opened a bag of trail mix, but not before setting down her flashlight.

"I wouldn't be surprised if its sunset already," she said, and pulled out a handful of almonds, cashews, dried Pecha berries, and creamy chips of yogurt. Knowing it would only be fair to her Pokémon as she ate, she released all her Pokémon from their Poké Balls. Kangaskahn came first, then a Marill (a really cute and round Pokémon that sort of appeared like a big and small balloon. It was gifted to her by the Pokémon Ranger Kellyn). Mars tossed an apple to each Pokémon, which they gratefully ate. With the exception of Marill, who had resistance to heat and cold, every looked like they were freezing.

The Pokémon Trainer finished her handful of trail mix and reached for another handful. Her Pokémon, in contrast, dug into the former's bag for bottles of fresh water to hydrate themselves (in which Kangaskahn helped feed the Pokémon standing on four legs).

When they had finished their break, Mars put all the contents back into her bag. Before she stood up, she opted to drink more sips of water and recalled her Pokémon (except for Purugly) back into their Poké Balls. Wishing she had warm water to drink instead, Mars was forced to drink more cold fresh water anyway. Drinking cold water in a cold environment wasn't the best option in any situation, but to stay hydrated was a priority.

"Let's go!" Mars heaved, putting on her bag and picking up her flashlight.

_I probably will have to swap my shoes for these new boots at some point too,_ she thought.

Indeed, as Mars thought of this and looking at what she could see of the road ahead, there was a feeling of ice crystals shining on the ground, and she could partly feel them crushed under her feet.

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><p>Wherever Mars and Purugly walked, the air became increasingly colder to breathe. Even the light stones at this point couldn't seem to shine their lustre now.<p>

They edged past a series of rocks (not boulders, thankfully) as Mars' flashlight and Mount Coronet's light stones guided the way ahead through the cave. As Mars walked, she somehow felt that the cave's colours, despite the light stones and in spite of the cold atmosphere, faded into a depressing dark blue. Was it always like this?

"Just a little more…" Mars muttered; cautiously stepping on the ground in front of her.

Surely, against Mars' fading hopes, it must be night by now.

And it was with these thoughts in her head that she carelessly slipped on one foot.

"Wah!" Mars exclaimed.

Her heel slipped on the cold ground and the motion sent Mars' back falling to the ground with a _thud_. In short, it hurt. As a result, consequently, Mars body was sprawled on the ground and clearly, at the moment, unable to recover.

"Hey, Purugly," she motioned her arm and looked to her side, "do you think I'll need to change my shoes soon?"

Her accompanying Pokémon shook her head and politely stomped on the ground. Mars sighed and knew what she, Purugly, was getting at.

Getting up and finding a flat rock to sit on, Mars placed her bag on the ground, dug into it, and pulled out the pair of boots she had purchased in Hearthome City. As quickly and delicately as she could, Mars exchanged her all-purpose running shoes for the boots. After putting them on, she noticed that the boots felt a lot _grippier_, and much warmer than the shoes. Gloves, after the boots, came on and were equally important. Now Mars' hands were warm!

Mars determined what her foot had slipped on was cold, hard, ice.

Although she felt comforted that she no longer had to worry about slipping on any ice anymore, Mars felt an uncomforting chill pulse through her skin again. Pausing for a moment, she tasted the air.

Whenever she breathed at this point, she felt the warmth of her breath tickle her nose. Mars then aimed her flashlight at her face and breathed again. She saw visible frost as she breathed outward.

"Great, it's getting colder now," she muttered, right as she paused a set of ruins.

She and Purugly proceeded to the end of the mountain corridor, and gradually the light stones in the wall grew brighter and brighter. And when they reached the end of the path, where the route turned a sharp left, Mars had her hopes up when she saw traces of a snow-covered ground. No more did she have to walk on ice anymore!

"Finally…" Mars aimed her flashlight to a set of steep stairs. To be safe, she recalled Purugly into her Poké Ball and began the climb back to the outside world – to a strict sense of freedom. With each step, Mars reached closer to the rock platform that was sure to lead outside. When Mars did reach the top, a howling cold wind blasted from the opening. Shielding her eyes from the blistering wind, Mars approached the exit to complete her journey through Mount Coronet.

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><p><strong>Review...? Please? Is this story good in the slightest?<strong>


	4. The Cold and Dark: Route 216

**Merry Christmas, from 122 Generation.**

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><p><em><span><strong>Chapter four: The Cold and Dark: Route 216<strong>_

**Route 216: night**

It was impossible to tell if it was twilight or nightfall. Nevertheless, there was not a hint of daylight now, to Mars' worst fears. The skies, only a slate gray and hinting a midnight blue, littered the entire area with snow. But despite being able to see their distinct colour, Mars found it difficult to see the path ahead. Why, she didn't even need her flashlight anymore since the snow was so thick (in short, she turned it off). Still, Mars was aware what she was wearing didn't even suit the weather! Before she walked out of Mount Coronet, Mars pulled up the zipper of her shell-like jacket to seal in her body heat. Truth be told she was cold, and indeed she was!

Taking her first steps out of Mount Coronet, she heard the familiar crunching of crisp snow being broken beneath her feet. Interestingly enough, while the surface of the snow was very brittle, the snow beneath the crust was surprisingly compact, soft, and compressed. It was enough to walk on top.

The Pokémon Trainer then felt fluffy snow clusters land and stick on her hair. Mars knew enough about the cold that if her head wasn't protected whilst being in the cold, it would be – for lack of better word – bad for her health. Her head would freeze, beginning with a headache.

In short, it – was – so – cold! Mars had reason to be thankful to the Hearthome shop employee for his suggestions on the right kind of outwear. Indeed, Mars looked at her sleeves to see the flakes of snow repeatedly 'bounce off' or 'stick on' the jacket. The same went for her snowpants.

Feeling warmer already, despite the boots and jacket, Mars walked on and bypassed a road sign reading 'Route 216'. The sign wasn't wedged deep in the snow, which probably meant the snow wasn't deep either. Or perhaps the sign was buried _in_ the snow! Either way, in Mars' opinion, there was a lot of snow. The sky was depressingly dark, and snow appeared and fell like it came from out of nowhere.

As Mars walked on she noticed that where the Mount Coronet exit was, it was at the ground level between two mountainous cliffs (presumably Mount Coronet, still). Despite being able to see the high cliffs, it was hard to see at all due to the darkness and snow.

With each step Mars took forward, she began to feel a lot colder than before. Did the heat draining from her thighs and teeth chattering do enough harm to her already? It got worse.

"If only I had brought my scarf," she grumbled, thinking of the scarf she had bought the previous Christmas that was still in her home.

Unable to see much, Mars resorted to using her flashlight once again as her guide. Ahead, she saw Route 216 was a straight slowly descending slope of blanketed snow road. Walking on the snow meant Mars had to endure the cold while walking through the gap of two towering edges of Mount Coronet. Sure, the two cliffs gave Mars _some_ protection from the cold, but there was still a hollow wind blowing into her face. Ugh.

There was no need to talk much, for after pacing for only two minutes, Mars wanted to turn around already.

"It's so cold!" she kicked the snow. "And it's dark!"

Frustrated, Mars took cover underneath a thick evergreen tree to take a break. Why, even breathing was having a cold impact on her nose, also. Mars rubbed it and opened her bag to take out a biscuit stick. At least she could have something savoury to eat and sustain her.

Mars realised the snowfall had slowed down. _It's not snowing that hard either_, she thought.

It was a nice sight to see the snow fall from a non-clear sky, given she had shelter now, as the wind blew the clouds away, and it left a clear sky of magenta-and-midnight blue. So it was only twilight now. Wonderful.

It was a relief to see that there wasn't a lot of snowfall here, but it was still night, nonetheless.

Her hands were freezing, her nose was freezing… Mars couldn't stay here forever. Oh, come on, she's only on a break anyway. She finished the rest of her biscuit stick, put the wrapper in her bag, drank a bit of ice-cold, refreshing, fresh water.

Mars had forgotten how thirsty she was.

She got up to begin trudging in the snow once more.

* * *

><p>At least there wasn't a lot of wild Pokémon to either run into or engage in combat here. No Pokémon, or at least most of them, in their right sense of mind would try to live in these parts of the Sinnoh region.<p>

Even though Mars felt really cold, all that moving around and eating snacks made her realise that in her current state she was a lot warmer than she thought, or knew. The jacket and the pants were doing their job at repelling the snow, and extra clothes beneath the snow gear enhanced the heat insulation's effectiveness.

Still, as Mars walked down a flight of stairs (stairs in the route? It is a public road, after all), she wished for a warm place to stay… for a few minutes, if nothing else. Wait, hadn't she made the same wish before when she was in Mount Coronet?

Ten minutes later, it became a deathly silent trip, only broken by the sound of her footsteps crunching on the snow. She slowly passed another evergreen tree, descended down more stairs, and bypassed another bridge above her head. Supposedly there were rumours of valuable treasures near the top of the cliff, where the bridges were suspended, like nuggets of gold or rare red Star Pieces. Unfortunately, for someone like Mars, she would never expend the time to do so. Going up there meant travelling to high ground. Higher ground meant higher altitude, and that meant colder temperatures.

By the time Mars had walked down the third flight of stairs, she began to feel her head getting numb. The pain pulsed in her temple once in a while, but Mars wished it would go away altogether. No! It was just as she feared: she was getting a headache!

As a result, chills would ripple down from her head to her spine and finally to her toes. She wondered just how regular Trainers _endure_ such a tedious, and treacherous, journey. Of course, there existed some sort of bias because, after all, she had a major distaste for anywhere that was cold.

Cold was annoying. It drained her heat, but at least not in the way that rain would. Sure, she could handle cool-and-cold climates where the air was easier to breathe, but a climate that was **too** cold was out of the question. She felt cold back at home, and that was enough for her.

But to the blistering cold's credit: it spared her the danger of heat loss in the way that rain would, in contrast to dry snow. This gave Mars the luxury of crisp air rather than damp air, despite Sinnoh never having a damp climate much in the first place.

Her boots crunched sounds on the snow over and over as she walked and bypassed another evergreen tree, and walking down what felt like the last set of stairs, because after cautiously setting foot on the darkened white ground she felt was surprisingly level.

"It's probably the ground," she declared.

Looking ahead once more into the dark, she could see the powder-snow-covered route stretch on, but there had to be an end! Nevertheless, the nigh and snow seemed to have made the journey endless. It was a horrible feeling!


	5. A Heartwarming Rest

**Thanks to omar7812 for keeping up.**

**Is it cold here? Very. Consider Mars, who has struggled for countless hours against the dreaded cold...**

* * *

><p><em><span><strong>Chapter five: A Heartwarming Rest<strong>_

**Route 216/Snowbound Lodge: night**

As Mars walked further, the snow had become softer and her legs began to sink into the soft and thick snow. Mars realised, to her horror, that her movement speed had become impediment by the weight-absorbing white powder. Now all Mars really wanted was some rest. Obviously, resting in the snow wasn't the best idea. She would be frozen alive.

A northern wind blew against her already-cold face. Mars pressed on to keep walking.

If only there was some place to shelter from the cold…

"I'm freezing," Mars said to herself, as she felt her body getting colder, as if it wasn't cold enough already! If only, (**if only!**) she hadn't been stuck up with all those delays at Mount Coronet from beginning to end, she would have made it out of there before nightfall! That was out of the question now. Night had fallen, the light was gone, and the harsh cold of night had replaced the limited warmth of the daylight.

Still walking on level ground and walking in the night, Mars could detect ahead a glowing light on the right ahead. She tried using her flashlight to see it, but it was sheltered by trees.

"Hello?!" she called out.

No answer.

_Figures_, Mars thought. _Of course shouting won't work. The snow absorbs sound._

With the hope of finding someone here to possibly help her, and like a fire alighting within Mars' spirit, she quickened her pace to approach the fiery-orange light. Energy after energy burned away at her constant movements. Mars' blood ran hot, and it kept her warm… for the time being.

And when Mars arrived at the light, she realised it was all worthwhile using her strength. True, she was tired, but relief like a flood crashed over her mind, because this light was radiating from a cabin window. Specifically, this cabin had a sign posted outside of its door.

It read: "**Snowbound Lodge: A Welcoming Haven for Frozen Travellers!**"

Could it get any better? Or was it too good to be true? Mars didn't want to get her hopes up, but she failed _not_ to do so. She was too cold! Anyway, she knocked on the wooden door and hopefully waited for an answer.

The door opened at last. A man, dressed in a jacket and a toque, and a woman, wearing a parka and a toque, looked at Mars. The Trainer, Mars, supposed that they were a married couple.

"We don't have guests often," said the man.

"Hey, she looks cold!" the woman said. "Lass, why don't you come in?"

Mars was at a loss for words, if not being too cold to speak. Gratitude, perhaps, could best explain her emotions at the moment. She hadn't felt this thankful in months.

As she walked right in, Mars was welcomed by the enveloping heat of indoors. In an instant, her entire body felt warmer, as if the heat was pushing out whatever cold was inside her body. Didn't the fierce movements she made outside enough to warm herself? Well, it appeared Mars had betrayed her own senses, because her entire body was welcoming the new heat.

Her entire body, that is, except for her hands.

* * *

><p>The first thing Mars saw as she walked into the inn was the sight of a check-in desk and, perhaps most welcoming, the sight of merry flames dancing on a burning fireplace.<p>

"We're a modest inn," the innkeeper admitted, "Although we do have Pokémon Trainers venturing in these parts pretty often, they almost always come by to eat a hot meal or something."

A hot meal… those words made Mars swallow. Since when was the last time she had a hot meal? Oh yes, since before this ridiculous journey. Her throat felt cold and dry, so did it hurt to think of a hot meal? Not in the slightest! Mars longed for one right now, as if it were a luxury. Mars followed the man and his wife to the check-in desk.

"So…" the woman said, "where's home for you?"

Mars released her Pokémon onto the premises of the warm inn before replying. "I travelled from Hearthome City, but I'm originally from Floaroma Town." As she said this, Mars pulled out her bank card. "How much am I paying for the night?"

But right after she asked this, the innkeeper's wife burst out laughing.

"She does that every time a Trainer, or anyone for that matter, asks that question," the innkeeper said. "We have a unique system of charging you by the amount of time you're staying. Pay for the amount of hours and either my wife or I will come wake you up when it's over. We'll credit you if you're leaving early, and charge you extra if you want to stay a little more."

Mars contemplated this, and made a snap decision. "I'll pay up to three hours," she said. "I'm only here to grab some rest before I make my way to Snowpoint City."

The couple exchanged glances.

"You're one of _those_ Trainers, aren't you?" the innkeeper rhetorically asked. "Don't worry. We've met only a few Trainers who'd want to stay for an hour and then they'd leave in the cold, black, morning. It's still night, nevertheless, and check-out comes in the same night hour, anyway. That reminds me, its still night. Would you like a meal before you turn in?"

Between a hot meal and rest, Mars wanted rest.

* * *

><p>Mars gratefully thanked the innkeeper's wife upon being shown her room. The first thing Mars did upon entering was removing her jacket and snow pants, and henceforth was wearing her casual attire again (the black dress, the dark red sweater, and sleek black sweatpants hidden beneath the snow gear). She hung the snow-covered snow gear to dry on the bed frame. Speaking of which, the bed was made of polished wood and the room was made of a combination of polished wood and mahogany. Never mind the dark, hardwood floor with a square carpet, which gave the room a modern, welcoming appeal.<p>

There was even a fireplace!

"I'll come and serve you a bowl of vegetable soup, later," the innkeeper's wife announced. "Did my husband tell you it's complimentary with every stay?"

"Not at all," Mars smiled, as she prepared to close the door. "But thank you."

Purugly, Kangaskahn, and Marill made themselves super cozy in the toasty warm. Ro Mars, she dropped her bag on the glass-top desk and then fell back on the bed covers.

"Ah…" Mars yawned.

She nearly forgot to take off her boots and gloves. That reminded her…

_I think I'll go warm up my hands, actually_, she thought.

She got up to head to the fireplace in the room, just as Purugly was getting comfortable on the carpet. As well, water dripped from Mars' hanging snow gear and fell to the ground slowly. Mars rubbed her hands together very quickly near the heat and flames, trying to unfreeze them. Of course… her hands were frozen solid!

And then there was knocking at the door, just when Mars was getting comfortable.

She didn't want to immediately respond, and she did exactly that. Her best guess was it was probably the innkeeper again, and so she reluctantly pulled away from the fire to answer the door.

Eh, her guess was close. It was the innkeeper's wife, and in her hands was a tray… oh! What was that delicious smell? Mars' mouth began to water.

"Here's a light dinner," the innkeeper's wife said, and extended it to the Trainer with both hands. "Vegetable soup and a dinner roll. It's not much, but it should be enough for you after that journey of yours through the mountain. Honestly…"

"Oh… thanks," Mars smiled. She laid the tray on the desk but not before closing the door. As tire as she was, and despite refusing the offer of food just ten minutes ago, Mars could not resist the temptation of hot soup in an already cold environment, despite the warmth of the inn. Not only that, but Mars was hungry!

Consequently, she took her respective seat beside the desk and then scooped a mouthful of soup into her mouth. Suddenly, like stars shooting across the sky, a heartwarming feeling overtook Mars' body, and she realised just how much hot food meant to her right now.

To mark the occasion, Mars pulled out a few bottles of cold lemonade from her bag (which, surprisingly, had not frozen) and gave one each to her Pokémon, and one for herself. Soon, everyone was enjoying a well-deserved break, with each individual quietly enjoying their drinks and Mars with her soup and roll.

After wards, Mars collapsed on top of the bed to take her nap.

**Route 216/Snowbound Lodge: almost three hours later…**

"Miss…! Time to wake up!"

She didn't want to wake up.

"Miss! Your three hours are almost up! Unless you want to pay extra when you leave, which could happen during check-out…?"

Mars sighed and reluctantly removed herself from the warm bed and stood up. Yawning, she allowed herself to stretch and then went to brush her teeth. According to her Pokétch watch, she had slept for two hours and fifty minutes. It was shorter than she would have preferred to rest, but probably still too long to wade into the already-dark journey to Snowpoint City.

Mars began to dress in her snow gear and her Pokémon were starting to wake up. Unlike the Pokémon Trainer, the Pokémon had little to do or prepare, so Kangaskahn and Marill voluntarily put Mars' belongings in her bag.

Mars finished zipping up her coat and, thanking her Pokémon along the way, returned Kangaskahn, Marill, and Purugly into their Poké Balls. In the end, Mars put on her boots and gloves and walked out the door.

* * *

><p>"Good evening," the innkeeper's wife greeted.<p>

"Good… evening?" Mars raised her eyebrow. "Oh, right, it's night…"

"I've made another bowl of vegetable soup for you," the innkeeper's wife said. "You can eat it while you're going through check-out."

Sure enough, Mars was sitting at the lobby table eating her soup and watching the Sinnoh News Network on a flat-screen TV, at the same time signing some papers and leaving a healthy tip for the inn.

"Thank you for the tip," the innkeeper's wife said.

"My pleasure," Mars smiled.

"_This is Sinnoh News Network, broadcast live from Jubilife City, with Helena, your weather reporter,_" the broadcast said. "_Route 217 is taking cover in a blizzard! Some of you may hope to brave the daring cold temperatures in the hopes of searching for rare Pokémon, or you can huddle in your warm and cozy homes and stop yourselves from getting sick. Me? I'm going to curl up in my home and make myself a cup of hot cocoa. From Jubilife City, this is Sinnoh News Network._"

Silence. Mars was silent. Only the crackling fire broke it.

"You're not seriously thinking of travelling up Route 217, are you?" the innkeeper asked. "Albeit the only way to get to Snowpoint City is that way, it's pretty crazy. If you're that intent –"

Mars sighed, but still wore a determined face. "I've travelled a long way from Floaroma to get here, anyway. I don't mind a little bit of snow, and I don't want to arrive in the city in the morning. That would be depressing."

"Suit yourself," said the innkeeper's wife, while she cleaned up Mars' empty bowl of soup. "Just stay safe, okay? Watch where you're going!"

Mars looked back at the couple with a grateful expression, and she opened the entrance door.

* * *

><p><strong>Doesn't this make you feel warm? It does to me. Review! (it's an overused expression, but what better way to say it? R&amp;R? Rest and relaxation?)<strong>


	6. Route 217: Home of the Blizzard

**Experience the blizzard and see if such conditions are conceivable...**

**And find out why Mars was assigned to Lake Verity at the beginning of D/P/Pt...**

* * *

><p><em><span><strong>Chapter six: Route 217: Home of the Blizzard<strong>_

**Route 217: late night**

A blast of cold air pressure hit Mars in the face, immediately her face went cold. To be brutally honest, Mars didn't forget how much she despised the cold outside. In order to be safe and stay hydrated throughout, she finished another bottle of water. She felt satisfied after finishing the drink. If that wasn't enough, her throat was relieved of dryness, despite the initial soup and feeling wide awake.

"Here we go…" Mars muttered.

Snowflakes landed on her head for every half-second that passed. Up ahead, a sign sticking out of the snow was clearly visible, or at least its silhouette. Mars turned on and aimed her flashlight toward it and closed in on the description, and walking on solid snow with eerily dark snow-covered evergreen trees on each side.

From the moment Mars stepped out of the inn doors, the first thing she heard was the sound of her own chattering teeth. She tried to supress her jaw at first, but she knew that if she did it would not only _not_ help but it would really hurt her teeth.

Sighing, Mars proceeded to Route 217. In the skies above, a dense-looking series of clouds seemed to have made the night very unwelcoming. This misfortune was followed, as the weather reporter Helena had put it, by the howling mix of wind and thick snow. Mars made sure her body was well insulated and proceeded to the dark vicinity of the route.

Not only that, but a violent combination of wind, hail, and snow scoured the entire route. If there was anything that could describe it, it was the blizzard.

Snowfall constantly landed on her hair, and the Pokémon Trainer was quick to notice her head, let alone her hair, wasn't covered. No wonder her head felt cold already! Quickly, Mars put her jacket hood over her head and went on walking.

The road seemed simple enough –

"Ugh!" Mars groaned.

The snow she had just stepped on actually was a crust of snow on top with a deep, soft, snow layer beneath. By stepping on the brittle crust, the snow collapsed and Mars' foot sunk into the snow. With a momentary split-second of being off-balance, Mars collapsed on one leg and her whole body, arms and legs, hit the snow.

That included her face.

"Ow…" Mars stayed flat on the snow, and brought her hands to her nose and mouth to warm them. But she knew she was stronger than that.

Getting up, Mars proceeded forward through the blizzard-swept route. As she walked, Mars caught wind that the towering ledges of Mount Coronet were no longer visible. Either she was getting further away from the mountain or that the snow was distorting the visibility around the route. Either opinion could be described as good news, or bad news.

Speaking of which, the blizzard had essentially made visibility reduced to zero in all of Route 217. Reporter Helena wasn't kidding there would be a blizzard. Ugh.

"Oh, dear. The snow…" Mars realised.

The more Mars went forward, the more her body sunk into the deep, soft, snow. It wasn't just her legs moving through the cold, fluffy, snow, but now the depth was such that the snow had reached her neck, and finally her nose.

Whatever snow did touch her neck and face soon melted away into cold water, whilst draining away Mars' body heat and the water trickled down her neck and drained more of her heat. Consequently, Mars had to 'dig' her way through the thick snow so as to clear a path. She had to hold on a flashlight too!

The air was crisp, thick, and… hard to breathe?! Mars sniffled, and then realising there was phlegm dripping out of her nose.

Not good.

That meant that she was on the edge of catching a cold. Drops of hot sweat were streaming within her shoulders, which was uncomfortable. Given that the cold environment and the blizzard did nothing to cool her down, nor did the excessive body heat Mars had inside her repel the cold, she really felt like she was in a trap.

"Purugly!" Mars threw her Poké Ball forward. "Help me out!"

Once again, her trademark tiger cat Pokémon landed in front of her and began to claw the path ahead. Though Mars felt bad she couldn't help out Purugly, she had reason not to help, as 'helping' would only get in Purugly's way.

In many minutes, despite the darkness of night and the continual passive buildup of snow around them, the duo was finally making progress. With Purugly founding a temporary pathway in front and Mars giving some visual support with her flashlight, it was no wonder progress was – strictly speaking – adequate. The best part about making a temporary pathway like this was that it allowed Purugly to dig a makeshift trench.

However, this method was enduring and not entirely constant. Mars would often use the deepened snow trench as a means to shelter her sides from the blowing snow, and more than once did she have to brush off a thick layer of snow off her shoulders and her sleeves.

The more they ventured into the route, the more intense the blizzard got.

Eventually, Mars and Purugly like it a _lot_ better being stuck and moving through this snowy trench-like snow path when it came to taking cover from the howling wind and blowing ice and snow coming from the forward direction.

Besides, the dense fog and snow, in short, could not reach Mars' position now that they were entrenched. Sure, the snow could still land on top of her head, but at least extra snow from the blowing blizzard wouldn't dig deep into the path Mars and Purugly were digging.

Alas, the night still made it difficult to see, anyway.

With somewhat frozen hands, Mars ordered Purugly to stop so they could rest within their makeshift trench. Though it was blistering cold, they did what they could to make themselves comfortable. For Mars, she ate a biscuit stick and gave Purugly a healthy serving of lemonade and apples (like before, when they were in Snowbound Lodge, the items never froze!). It wasn't the most enjoyable break, but it was one that could certainly be called the coldest, and the shortest. With no sunlight left to guide the way ahead, and the dreadful cold temperatures of night on the rise, Mars and Purugly quickly got up, packed, and continued to work through the snow.

All that was ahead was the dark of night and the depressing blue reflections of snow, save for Mars' flashlight.

BAM…!

Purugly dug until she hit a solid wall, of ice.

"Hm… it seems like we don't need to dig anymore," Mars commented and held up a Poké Ball. "Nice work, Purugly, time to come back."

As a beam of light, Purugly zipped back into the Poké Ball in an instant and the Pokémon Trainer put the respective Ball into the sides of her bag. Mars readjusted her bag to ensure optimal weight distribution and continued forward. All she had to do was step onto higher ground: that is, the top of that wall of ice covered by a compact layer of snow.

Given that it was not ice by compact snow, Mars didn't need to worry about slipping. Instead, while walking, she realised that the sound of crunching snow had dramatically dropped. Odd. It was the same snow she had walked on earlier. Why had the sound become muffled, despite the snow?

It made the atmosphere very uncomforting. No sunlight, only the light from her flashlight. Dense blizzard fog occupied the sights. There was no sound.

After walking a few steps, Mars figured it was certainly faster walking on here with no deep snow to slow her down. Unfortunately, it was an equally enduring road. Mars had traded away shelter of a trench for faster progress.

The blizzard was now upon her, with powerful blasts of snow and ice violently hitting Mars from all sides. Common sense told her to keep her head warm, so Mars bowed her head against the blizzard and kept walking, even if she was wearing a hood already. Furthermore, she wrapped her arms together (thus, crossing them) so her hands wouldn't freeze.

It was good that as a shell layer, the jacket could repeatedly bounce off solid particles of ice and sticky snow. Again, once or twice every so often Mars had to brush off the snow.

Sometimes, being in a blizzard was really bad. At this point, Mars actually preferred to be digging a trench pathway again, and right now, because as some parts of the fog were clearing, Mars could only see a barren snowy wasteland in front and all around her!

"Do I feel lost? It sure _feels_ like it," Mars muttered.

Visible frosty breath was what she could see in front of her face, and she knew that it came from her own breathing.

But the wind began to accelerate violently.

_No…!_ Mars thought.

With more snow and ice, a _lot_ more, blowing in her direction, let alone the deathly cold that came with it, the heat that Mars had tried to seal within her jacket and pants seemed to drain and blow away with the wind. How was this even possible?!

Ahead, with the flashlight in hand, Mars saw dry snow blowing away the route like sand in a desert. But she could still see the route nonetheless. The Pokémon Trainer, however, had a high sensitivity to the cold. She couldn't live with these kinds of conditions, but she had to endure.

By the time Mars had wrapped her arms to preserve her heat once more, she started to feel a little more uncertain if she really was heading in the right direction. The maps told her were to go (north) but the treacherous snowstorms and blizzards of Route 217 had utterly betrayed the concept of direction. It didn't help that the winds were blowing from the northern direction.

If anything, Mars would also feel like turning around, at least sparing her the impact of northern wind. Unfortunately, she deduced that walking back to the inn or even Mount Coronet could be even more dangerous than walking forward, given there was no sunlight to see the way ahead and the constant decrease in cold temperature.

Mars, under fire from the blizzard, could conclude she was freezing. Heat from her glove-covered fingers and boot-clad feet raced back to her heart and lungs to keep her warm, at the price of leaving a lot less heat for her hands and feet.

She sniffled, and then sneezed.

"Ah-choo!" she threw her head forward.

Walking forward, Mars considered the many factors happing in her present state: it was dark, it was freezing cold, she just started to catch a cold, there was a throbbing headache with it, and the way ahead was to an uncertain destination…

_**And this**_**,** Mars darkly thought, _**is why I never travel to Snowpoint City, if not the road to get there!**_

The snow under her began to swallow her legs again. As a result, her movement was once again limited to a slower rate. However, the snow wasn't deep enough that she could build another trench.

She could see, however, what looked to be a darkened wall at the end of the road, in spite of the blizzard. But with the blizzard, nevertheless, obscuring any hope of long-rate vision, it was unclear as to see what it was. If it was a wall, Mars would have reason to be happy. At least she could be close to civilisation or shelter.

Trudging forward, Mars fought against more blizzard wind. Heavy snow made the wall at the end almost invisible. The snow slowed her movement speed tenfold as she walked through the straight route, but this route had to have an end…

Mars, step by step, only felt deep snow hitting against her knees. If this journey was for Snowpoint City, the journey better be worth it. To think that she could have done this in the warmer light of day… was conceivable, and she didn't know why it had to be done this late. Ah, yes, it was because of the delays she had at the beginning of the journey.

Besides, by the time Mars had traversed what felt like to be the entire Route 217, she had approached the wall, but not before hiking through a field of tall grass. She pushed away bendy uptight blades of grass before reaching the other side of the tall grass. It was unfortunate the snow still sunk to her knees as she walked through.

_What… is this?!_ Mars thought.

The wall, the one Mars had seen from a distance earlier, was in fact not a wall. To her disappointment, it was just a row of trees making up the fringe of a nearby forest. Sighing, exhausted, and unhappy, Mars took cover underneath a snow-covered tree to take another break.

Putting out some of her remaining quarter of biscuit sticks, Mars began to eat. Additionally, she pulled out an unopened bottle of lemonade as an energizing treat. Opening it, and still surprised the contents didn't freeze, Mars drank half of the lemonade, and rubbed her nose afterward.

She also had to at least give credit to the trees for sheltering her. According to the regional map, these trees were part of the Acuity Lakefront. The lake, Acuity, appeared as a neighbour to Snowpoint City too!

Without a hat, and realised this as she was resting, Mars began to feel her head _ache_. With only the faintest traces of heat generating in her head, and despite wearing all the necessary gear like a hood, jacket, pants, gloves, and boots, Mars' temples pulsed with pain.

"Ow…" she rubbed her temples. At this point, Mars knew that she was in trouble, or at least was going to be. If only she had brought her scarf from home, she wouldn't have to endure such punishing conditions. It was no wonder Dawn and Lucas always wore a hat and scarf around.

Getting up, stretching, and packing her belongings and garbage, Mars took to Route 217 again, and out into the cold, snow-covered route. The progress was slow, but the journey had made progress. Is this what Route 217 is always like: always snow-covered in a lifeless blizzard?

"It's… so…. cold…" Mars shivered.


	7. Acuity Lakefront: Very Snowy

**For those who are keeping up with Mars' journey through the snow, here's another chilling chapter.**

* * *

><p><em><span><strong>Chapter seven: Acuity Lakefront: Very Snowy<strong>_

**Acuity Lakefront: late night**

Ten minutes later into the night, Mars realised that by looking at the trees, they were completely snow-blanketed and essentially frozen. She wasn't surprised, though, given the snow she had just gone through in Route 217. Separately, to Mars' relief there was a metal sign sticking above the snow and it was in relatively good condition.

Curious already, Mars took the time to examine the sign carefully.

"Acuity Lakefront. Access to Lake Acuity ahead via Rock Climb. Lake Acuity located on high ground," Mars read. "Hmm…"

Although it was a ways away, Mars could detect a large mountainous rise in the distance towering above the trees. Of course it wasn't that big compared to the landmark Mount Coronet, but the rise was high enough to qualify as a small mountain.

Come to that, noticing she could see the slope very clearly, Mars distinctively noticed the constant and treacherous blizzard had subsided now. The violent snow clumps and clusters falling from the sky decreased in their abundance dramatically. Reminding herself once again she was in a snowfield, Mars brushed off a lot of snow off her hair once more.

She sniffled. She rubbed her temples. Yet that did nothing much to stamp out the cold. Once again Mars felt the need to take a break and sustain her energy. She unwrapped another of her last biscuit sticks, her remaining bottle of lemonade, and a handful from half a large bag of trail mix. Despite having almost no more biscuit sticks, Mars still had a lot of food. That and another apple.

Once again, food did help with providing extra energy for her. Mars bit off a large piece of biscuit and chewed. Funny, it seemed to have gotten a lot harder to chew it. At the very least the biscuit stick was still a _biscuit_, so it was easy to break off. The taste of savoury herbs filled her mouth like times before. Finishing with the apple, Mars put away the trail mix, the half-full bottle of lemonade, and the biscuit stick wrapper.

"Ah-choo!" Mars sneezed.

Unlike earlier, Mars' head didn't hurt the time when she sneezed.

"It probably was the lemonade, eh…" Mars muttered.

At last, she got up and began to traverse Acuity Lakefront.

* * *

><p>The Acuity Lakefront route was one not as barren as Route 216 and 217 for sure, and was certainly considerably shorter. But, however, both Route 216 and 217 shared the same intolerable problem as Acuity Lakefront did.<p>

Snow.

The distinct difference was that there was no blizzard wandering about here.

At this point, Mars could hear the familiar crunching of snow under her feet once more. Was it something in the snow that had drained sound away? Mars would never know. She walked slowly, exhausted, as the looming darkness of night enveloped her comfort.

It was hard to see. Period. Even with a flashlight.

Still, unlike Route 216 and 217, there were plenty of trees to shelter and block out winds and blowing snow onto the lakefront. Mars, knowing this, could proceed faster to Snowpoint City, yet would proceed slower in contrast because of cold and night.

Mars continued to take this approach slowly –

CRACK

Another forward step and the snow she had stepped on gave way and collapsed. Underneath that crust was, lo and behold, incredibly rich and soft snow. Immediately, Mars' foot, and then her leg, sunk right in.

"Whoa!" she cried.

_Not again_, she thought.

Sooner or later she brought her other foot to support herself by instinct and then her _entire body_ sunk into the snow. It only stopped when her feet hit compact snow at the bottom, and by then Mars had snow covering her up to her forehead. She was, technically speaking, buried alive.

That. Was. Deep. Snow.

Much deeper than before. Compared to Route 217, where the snow was shallower compared to _this_. The irony of it all was that it snowed much more frequently on Route 217 than Acuity Lakefront did, given the blizzard. Was it because it was warmer here at the lakefront did the snow become softer?

Indeed, Mars had plunged into deep snow.

Using her gloved hands, Mars broke down more pieces of upper snow crust to collapse it into the rich snow below. After frequent digging and bringing mounds of snow around her and dumping it on the surface crust beside, she cleared enough space to send out two of her Pokémon.

"Purugly! Kangaskahn!" she shouted, throwing two of her Poké Balls. When they had burst out of the capsules and landed on the snow, looking tired, Mars said, "Look alive, girls! We've got to clear a path forward through Acuity Lakefront now! Snowpoint City isn't far off from here, so…"

And in the next ten minutes, the three of them were cooperatively clearing snow ahead in the same trench-like format in Route 217. Purugly was entrusted with the task to break the supports of the snow underneath to effectively collapse the snow overall, and Mars and Kangaskahn would produce follow-up work by moving the snow aside.

Taking a large handful of snow and cradled it in her arms briefly before tossing it aside, Mars actively felt warmer being able to do some work, in spite of her headache and cold. In the same way, Purugly and Kangaskahn felt much more awake.

After that, they came across a lot of tall grass (another obstruction). But fortunately the grass was positioned on solid snow, which in turn enabled quicker movement on snow that wouldn't suck them in. Mars and her Pokémon walked forward and past a series of trees on their right, not unlike a forest, and the steep not-so-high cliff looming on their left, and it acted as a brilliant shield against the snow and wind, too!

"And that's… where Lake Acuity is located. Up there," Mars told her Pokémon, and then she thought, _**And back in the days of Team Galactic, I would never have wanted to go here anyway, hence why I went to Lake Verity… How could Jupiter cope with such cold?!**_

Then again, she was Mars. She hated the cold.

The trench continued to expand with Mars and the Pokémon's efforts at digging through the snow. Like before, it wasn't the best way to be shielded from the falling snow, but _this_ snow falling on their heads was gentle. Mars supposed working away under this kind of condition was worthwhile.

Soon, Mars and her Pokémon emerged from the trench and onto higher snow, whilst welcoming the unwelcome feelings of a dark road ahead covered in snow and a lot of tall grass. Sighing, Mars organised Purugly to take the lead once more as she followed the route, just as Kangaskahn tossed the last of the trench snow onto the side.

Taking into account they were heading through a forest now, Mars had to pick the optimal route to maneuver through and past the trees of the lakefront to keep moving. But fortunately there were signs that she was getting close, because much of the forest was in fact on her right and cliffs of the entrance to Lake Acuity on her left. Between those two was a very evident clearing, only sparsely populated by clusters of evergreens.

After getting past the tall grass, Mars and her Pokémon approached another large field of snow. Anticipating the worst, the Pokémon Trainer gave her according orders.

"Purugly, test the snow," Mars dully said.

The tiger-cat Pokémon bravely launched herself into the snow where, as Mars correctly predicted, the snow collapsed again and Purugly sunk into the frothy snow.

"Come on, Kangaskahn," Mars waved, "let's dig another trench, again."

Even so, despite taking several breaks, digging a trench at this point in time was considered exhausting work, equivalent to simply walking in the snow. On Mars' part, she felt breathing through her nose clogged her breathing. It was uncomfortable.

In spite of doing more work, it hurt to actually _touch_ anything. At least for Mars. To make herself feel a little better and improve her welfare, she pulled off a glove and placed her hand on her neck. Instantly, excess heat drained from her neck and transferred to her frozen hand. She did the same with the back of her hand, and then repeated the same idea with her other hand.

"Ah-choo!" Mars sneezed, and made her head dizzy.

Yet Mars kept on helping her Pokémon proceed through the vast clearing in front. Once again, it was Purugly who tried to forge a path through the thick snow, where Mars and Kangaskahn would 'shovel' the snow away to achieve faster progress. The Pokémon Trainer put her glove back on.

Slowly, the trio were able to repeat the method long enough, where they had essentially dug out a straight, solid, line through the snowy clearing. Whenever Purugly charged through the snow from underneath, the layer of snow above would bury her alive, so Mars and Kangaskahn would have to dig her out to keep going.

Not that she wasn't doing her part. Since by charging at the snow she could blast a healthy amount of snow, and at the cost of a small burial, it made it easier for Mars and Kangaskahn to maneuver through.

Or, if Purugly wanted to or wished, she could use her personal strength to send the heavy snow covering her off to the sky.

Speaking of the sky, Mars noticed as she worked, the night sky was getting clear. The colours in the sky ranged from midnight blue to a very deep and dark purple. Nevertheless, Mars didn't forget that it was late night. It was too cold, and it was late.

Worse, Mars noticed, she could only work with one hand, as the other was still occupied with the useful tool known as a flashlight. It was probably painful enough to be working, with snow on her head, sneezing and sniffling, and having frozen cheeks and hands.

She dug out more snow in her path, courtesy of Purugly, as the latter burrowed through deep and ice-cold snow. The process kept repeating until eventually the shadowy cliffs of the high ground (Lake Acuity) were party visible, though most due part was to the night.

Tall grass followed, and although there was a large field of it, it was also positioned on top of compact snow which increased the party's mobility. Mars walked past an evergreen tree as she stepped onto the comfort of solid ground.

"Great job, girls," Mars thanked and held up her Poké Balls. "Time to take a nice, long, rest."

Her Pokémon gave nods of approval as beams of light shot from the capsules and returned the Pokémon into the Balls. Wanting a little more company, Mars opted to send out Marill.

"It's pretty close, I'm sure," Mars said to her little round Pokémon.

Marill puffed up and walked ahead and through the tall grass.

* * *

><p>Eventually, the towering cliffs of Lake Acuity were nothing more than peaks of rock in the background, and everything around Mars, except for the Lakefront route, was snow-covered trees. In short, the rest of the lakefront was pretty much a forest with a clear-cut route of frosty tall grass.<p>

Mars wondered just how tall grass could withstand these conditions.

Breathing became heavy, the sneezing became more frequent. These were conditions that Mars did not want to get used to while walking in the night.

"Marill! Marill!" Marill squeaked excitedly.

"Huh? What is it, Marill?" Mars' eyebrows rose.

Up ahead, Marill raised a stubby arm in front, and Mars followed the gaze to see a fiery-orange light in the distance. She felt that tiny bit of comfort that was no different from what she felt at Snowbound Lodge, and she trudged through the snow.

Indeed, the snow became fluffier and softer, but not too soft to the point where Mars would have sunk right in, it was just soft enough. Granted, her foot would sink slightly into the snow, but that would be all. Whatever Mars' boot would sink into left would be compact snow.

A snowflake landed on her hair. It felt fluffy.

On her walk to the light in the distance, Mars also came across a pack of Delibird innocently walking across the forest path. Still, only two forests surrounded her sides. Ahead of her, it was a clear-cut one-way path. And then… Mars felt her throat and nostrils itch.

"Ah-choo!" she sneezed.

Marill, on the other hand, had a thick fat buildup, so she could negate the blistering effects of the snow. But fortunately for the both of them, this was still a connected route between Snowpoint City and Acuity Lakefront. At least that was something!

Snow, indeed, stuck to every exposed surface the sky could see. Buildups of snow amassed on top of the trees and make the trees look like they just wanted to shiver the snow off themselves. Alas, that was impossible.

* * *

><p><strong>Mars has a long journey, doesn't she? A long, cold, journey...<strong>


	8. Snowpoint City Comfort

**I'm starting to think I might not finish this by New Year's.**

**No matter.**

* * *

><p><em><span><strong>Chapter eight: Snowpoint City Comfort<strong>_

**Acuity Lakefront: late night**

The cliffs of Acuity Lakefront, despite the night and snow, were no longer in sight. To the Pokémon Trainer venturing in these parts, she was suffering from the discomforting cold of night, the buildup of heat within her that refused to warm her hands and feet, and the buildup of snow.

"Oh? What's this, anyway?"

Mars got closer to the light, and as she got close enough she realised that the light came from a lamppost and attached to it was a signboard. In addition, there were two spotlights on the ground that lit it up like a showcase.

"Finally," Mars relaxed.

After all that journeying since shopping in Hearthome, Mars walked past the sign that read, "Snowpoint City."

It was a well-kept sign, which looked like it put its snowy surroundings all to shame.

The muffled crunching of snow was all there was for the trip again.

Mars sniffled, and then she sneezed. "Ah-choo!"

"Ow…" she rubbed her nose, and then her head.

The fact that Mars was pretty much frozen, despite being well-prepared for the weather, already deepened the effects of the painful pulses in her head. Knowing that there wasn't much distance to cover, she kept her eyes on the goal.

Speaking of her sight, the snowfall seemed to have almost halted completely. It seemed good enough, that the snowfall had slowed at Acuity Lakefront, and now it just got better: there was no snowfall now!

Marill pointed ahead, and then she ran.

"Hey! Wait up, Marill!" Mars called.

Mars tried to quicken her pace but, besides the fact she was exhausted, the snow refused to allow such action. If Mars ran, in spite the snow, it would only do her more harm than good because the snow would end up dragging her foot. Therefore, it would make it harder to run.

Instead, Mars kept her flashlight on Marill as the Pokémon skipped ahead to the near end of the road. Mars continued to walk past forested trees until…

"Doesn't the road feel a little inclined here?" she muttered.

The Pokémon Trainer noticed that the road was increasing its slope, so Mars was basically walking up a hill. And given that she didn't know _what_ elevation she was at when she exited Mount Coronet, Mars had no idea when she would hit the bottom. Going uphill was the last thing Mars wanted now, as she was already exhausted from her long hike.

Her foot sank into the snow, but not that deeply.

Because, after all, the road was evidently developed with signs and markers.

**Snowpoint City: late night**

Five minutes later, Mars hit the end of the road, where Marill waited at a clearing.

"WOW…!" Mars' eyes went wide at first, and was followed with a wide smile.

She was standing on the high ground, where it overlooked tall chateau-style buildings below. Fiery-orange lights glowed below from streetlights, lampposts, cafés, and the windows of homes and buildings. Snow blanketed the rooftops of every building, and every section of road. Due to the chateau-style roofs being triangular in shape the snow always slid off the sides.

Mars figured a flashlight wasn't needed anymore, so she stored her trusty flashlight back into her bag and then reached for the Poké Ball holding Purugly and sent her out.

"We're here, Purugly," Mars said, exhausted.

By the time Purugly got out of her Poké Ball, Mars felt her mind freeze up. No… it was so hard to move right now. Had her body frozen? Although there was no snow falling, Mars found the cold atmosphere had gotten to her. Why, it even hurt to breathe.

Purugly and Marill, worried for Mars' wellbeing, opted to get Kangaskahn to help them out, but Mars insisted she herself was fine.

"Besides, we've made it this far," she added. "We're almost there."

The trio were then descending from the high ground via the snow-cleared path and down cement steps laden with salt. Trees surrounded their sides, as they headed down, but at least there were an abundance of lampposts this time to guide the way ahead. That was a sign!

But the cold still plagued Mars' head…

The more they walked, the closer they approached the large buildings of Snowpoint City. Come to think of it, Mars thought the city looked stunning in the night. It became apparent there were many, many, fiery-orange lights that made up many of Snowpoint City's atmosphere. Like beacons of hope, the lights made an ice-cold atmosphere – ironically – warmer than it appeared.

"Brr…!" Mars shivered, as if she had no heat left within her.

In fact, when they reached the bottom of the stairs Mars could really compare the sights of Snowpoint City to a Christmas card. The streets were covered by the night, that was true, but the lights shining from heartwarming cafés, lampposts, and outdoor restaurants and shops made it spectacular.

Mars concluded, in spite of her tiresome journey in the night, in the caves of Mount Coronet, in the blizzard of Route 217, that the overall journey to Snowpoint City was worthwhile to see this. As much as her inner self spitefully hated to admit it.

"Ah-choo!"

She rubbed her nose, and then realised she couldn't even feel her nose, let alone her hand! On top of all that, Mars was tired and cold, not to mention the Gym must have closed by now. Oh, what Mars wouldn't give for a warm break!

In spite of the Gym closing, there were plenty of well-lit shops still open at this hour of the night, mainly those of the retail business. Clothes were on display and on sale, while others were displaying lots of snow gear including cross-country skis, toques, and goggles.

Mars began to walk on the first street of Snowpoint City she saw. While she took her first steps into Snowpoint City, she also noticed a fountain positioned in a plaza. The plaza itself wasn't crowded with people given the hour of late night, but besides having no people in the plaza, the fountain – which was still gushing streams and streams of cold water – made the plaza a little livelier.

What Mars wouldn't give for a warm break!

With the remainder of strength she had in her, and very cold and tired, Mars wanted to find the Pokémon Centre to allow her Pokémon to rest, but she took into account that she was thirsty for a hot drink and a little hungry. So instead, Mars walked to the nearest café.

This café from the looks of it could be enjoyed indoors or outdoors. Although the inside was a typical wooden-chair-and-table setup under the stories of a chateau-style building above, the outside area was a closed area bordered by wooden frames and transparent toughened plastic barriers, with wooden tables and chairs with heat lamps emitting a toasty atmosphere outdoors.

Mars walked into the café, walking past tall heat lamps and welcoming the long-forgotten heat, and then stopped to see a small lineup for orders. Taking her time, Mars removed one of her gloves – embracing the brief chill of Snowpoint City wind – before reaching her hands up to the warmth of one of the heat lamps. It took a while at first, as if her frozen hands didn't seem to recognise the heat they were taking in. If only there was some fast way for the heat to get into her hands…

"Ah-choo!" Her body shuddered, and she had to cover her sneeze with her elbow, which meant she couldn't warm one hand for a while! Once that was over with, she raised her hands to warm them near the heat lamp.

She supposed warming her hands was enough to improve welfare, but now Mars wanted a little something to eat or drink, and preferably something warm. Given she was inside the café, Mars guessed it was safe to take off her jacket too. So she stowed it in her bag.

Warmth had never, ever, felt this good.

And speaking of her bag, Mars went over to the garbage and recycling bins to dispose of the wrappers and empty bottles she had expended during her trip. After she was done with that, she was ready to order something at the counter. Mars walked over to the cashier to meet the employee.

"Good evening, miss," said the employee. "May I take your order?"

As Mars looked at the menu above and behind the employee, she determined that a small and quick meal was a given. For a drink… as much as Mars wanted coffee, let alone mocha, she didn't want to compromise her tired state.

"A hot chocolate, please," Mars ordered, "and a toasted onion wrap."

The feeling of saying the word 'toasted' felt stranger to her. It felt foreign, given she had spent a frozen day and night forgetting what the word meant.

Speaking of frozen days, the pain Mars had felt in her head had slowly and soothing faded away into the heat. Although Mars had her fill of cold in her journey, she still decided she would have an outdoor seat, even though the pain in her head was still pulsing.

"That will be eight-hundred Pokédollars," said the cashier. "Oh? Credit?"

He, the clerk, didn't initially notice the Pokémon Trainer flashing the red HSBC banking card in front of him. Gladly, he showed Mars were to pay with her credit card (through a banking machine, of course). After Mars paid, the clerk printed the receipt and handed it to Mars.

"Thank you, and wait while we deliver your meal to you," the clerk said.

Mars happily took the receipt and went outside to find a seat.

Although Mars would have much preferred to stay indoors, she realised it would be more enjoyable for her look at the view outside. Ideally, Mars picked a seat closest to one of the heat lamps. She sat down, hung her heavy bag on the seat, and then reached up to the heat lamp to warm her hands.

Her toes were frozen solid too! And there was no heat lamp to warm them…

Purugly and Kangaskahn, on the other hand, were quietly resting on the ground beside the table. Marill slept on the other chair across Mars. Like Mars, they too deserved some rest.

So after warming her hands Mars reclined on her seat to enjoy the view of a frosty snow-covered Snowpoint City in the late night, with blinking lamps and lights illuminating the dark city. Some trees were still in the process of shedding their leaves, and buildings were showcasing themselves with their simple spotlights, and other buildings were decorated in smaller lights. Streetlights and lampposts, pretty much, lit up every street in Snowpoint City in a serene manner.

And looking above into the sky, Mars sighed, was the sight of a midnight blue atmosphere with white flakes landing onto the community below, though not as violent and furious as Route 217, thankfully at the very least.

Mars was tired, so since she was sitting down she took the opportunity to stretch out her arms and legs while she was there, and in time to get some sleep…

"Here you go!" a cheerful voice said, shocking Mars.

"Ah-choo!" the Pokémon Trainer sneezed, and at the same time jolted herself to sitting upright.

"Bless you," said the employee. "Here's your hot chocolate, and your toasted onion warp, young lady."

Placed on the table in front of Mars was a plate with a large wrap on it, with an impressive amount of heat radiating from it such that Mars could even feel it touching her face. There had to be two conclusions, though: either it was exactly that, or Mars was _that_ cold. Additionally, regarding the mug of hot chocolate resting beside the plate, it had the largest amount of whipping cream Mars had ever seen added onto a single serving of hot chocolate. It looked like a cup of soft ice cream. But not only that, there was a bowl of steaming vegetable soup as well!

"Oh… thank you!" Mars said with a wide smile. "But I thought I only ordered the wrap and the hot chocolate? What about the soup?"

"Oh, my manager and my co-worker saw you sneezing a few times and they reckoned you had a cold or something," the employee said. "This soup's on them."

"Thanks!" Mars said, gratefully.

Beginning with the mug of hot chocolate, Mars licked off a mouthful of cream off the top of the mug, and then she followed with a good mouthful of hot chocolate, starting by bringing the mug to her lips.

Like the vegetable soup she had enjoyed at Snowbound Lodge, the same feeling of a hot liquid searing down her throat immediately spread warmth down to her stomach, and finally to the tips of her fingers and toes. Instantaneously, her feet were no longer cold!

With a shivering hand, but now considerably warmer, Mars placed the mug back on the table and set about enjoying her light meal. She picked up the spoon and had multiple mouthfuls of the vegetable soup that promoted the heat within her (not to mention it, somehow, slowed down her sneezing). When the soup was done, she brought her fingers to pick up the large wrap in front of her.

From what Mars could see, the wrap was packed with grilled onions and tomatoes, shreds of lettuce, and molten cheese. Indeed, it was very hot, maybe too hot. But the cold Mars faced up to now made the heat very welcoming instead. Lifting it up, Mars took a large bite off the toasted wrap.

It was, without a doubt, the best meal she ever had in this cold land.

**Snowpoint City: very late night**

For the remainder of the late night, Mars was too tired to want to explore Snowpoint City, despite being already there, and let alone trying to get back to being used to warmth. Common sense told Mars that she was completely and wholly exhausted. The most she wanted to do was find any hotel and get some rest.

And that, of course, involved a little exploration.

Mars stirred what was left of the frothy whipped cream in her hot chocolate, and then happily drank the sweet contents with the complimentary smoothness of the cream. Afterwards, and watching the night continue to reign throughout the Sinnoh region, Mars drank the last of her hot chocolate and stood up.

It was a strange feeling. She was rejuvenated by the mot meal and more awake with plenty of energy supplied by the food, but she was still exhausted by the journey and wanted to sleep. Besides, the headaches were coming back due to sleepiness.

"Ah – ah – ah-choo!" was followed by tiny painful impluses in her head, and Mars grabbed a napkin and blew her nose into it.

"You know, girls, how about we take a quick walk around the city and look for a hotel to stay in?" she said to her tired Pokémon, of which two were asleep. To Mars' amazement, her Pokémon did _not_ object to the idea.

Slowly, they began to leave the warm premises of the café and began to travel around the streets of Snowpoint City. Snow lightly fell on the ground and nighttime works had to shovel the snow away once every so often.

Mars, Purugly, Kangaskahn, and Marill walked along an icy stone path covered lightly in salt. Along each side of the path, cherry blossom trees were shedding their pedal-like leaves beautifully onto the ground and snow. How could cherry blossom trees exist here?!

She crossed a bridge passing over a flowing river. Although it was essentially snowing, the water flowed and rushed by very cleanly. Furthermore, the night made the water appear black, but the fiery lights from buildings beside the river illuminated it.

Modern retail shops had their shops closed, including technology shops, and even the HSBC branch was closed. No surprise, since it was deep into the night, which would account for the lack of people in the plaza, let alone the streets.

With so much snow, it was a slight trip, and nothing else.

"You know, it's pretty late already," the receptionist said. "In my whole career working at this hotel, and walking alongside others, I've never seen a customer checking in at a hotel at an hour this late."

"Yeah… I travelled from Floaroma Town to get here," Mars explained. "I went through the wrong route in Mount Coronet, and then I stayed a few hours at Snowbound Lodge on Route 217 to shelter from the blizzard."

"Seems like you've had quite the journey," the receptionist said, his eyebrows raised in interest. "Did you know that this very hotel actually supports Snowbound Lodge from here? We provide utilities and food for them, with agreement from the Snowbound Lodge owners. That aside, we at this hotel operate with much higher class than them… but anyway, how did you find Snowbound Lodge?"

"They provided quality service," was Mars' automatic response. "Thank you."

"I'll be sure to forward them your compliments," the receptionist grinned, and then went about giving Mars a room key. "That will be 13,000 Pokédollars for the night. Breakfast will be served tomorrow until noon, so enjoy your night and your stay!"

Mars answered with only a weak and grateful smile. She took back her HSBC bank card, then the room key, and her bag before walking away to the elevator.

A very noticeable detail of this hotel, despite being in a climate so cold, was that it was exceptionally modern. Marble flooring covered every part of the lobby, a fireplace rested comfortably in a guest lounge complete with leather chairs and a drink machine making the hot drink of choice.

The Pokémon Trainer opted to take the elevator to ascent to her room. Clearly, taking the stairs after a long journey from Floaroma Town and Hearthome City was not what Mars had in mind.

The hotel was a lot warmer than Mars expected it to be.

Finally, upon entering her room, Mars was welcomed by the sight of a classic cozy hotel room. A single bed was resting in the heart of the room, and the welcoming greater heat of the room practically melted all the snow off her clothes, and her hair. If nothing else, Mars had to swap her boots for her all-purpose running shoes at last to cool off her feet, as her feet were suffering and cooked inside her boots.

And last but not least, Mars grabbed a towel in the room to dry off whatever snow was left in her hair, and then went to hang her coat and snow pants to let the water drip off. Her Pokémon, likewise, shivered off the snow to dry off in the room's heat.

Her bag was now dropped on the side mahogany wood table, and she stretched her arms over herhead. Truly, Mars had to admit, she earned a lot of rest and relaxation. Wait, hadn't she thought of this countless times before? Speaking of relaxation…

There was an audio system, evidently a large one, sitting in front of the window. The Pokémon Trainer walked over to it, whilst looking at the overlooking view of a dark Snowpoint City illuminated by fabulous lights. Now looking down at the audio system, which really was a laptop fused to two audio amps, Mars selected songs to listen to. There were a lot of songs and variety to choose from, but she could only pick one. In the end, selected by the computer's touchpad, Mars chose the jazzy 'My Favorite Wings' (for those who care, it's by Maki Manammi).

A soothing lounge-like sound burst out of the amps and around the room. Her Pokémon perked up at the surprising music, but they soon faded into the music's tunes and went back to sleep.

Likewise, Mars felt a little better hearing the music notes that so fit her position right now: tired, exhausted, and the want and need for sleep. The music was more than enough to make her relax and drop some tension from the cold journey as she walked away from the audio system.

Having the relaxing lounge music in her head, Mars happily fell on her back onto the room beg. Somehow, she felt her spine stretch out a bit. It must have been from the day-long tension from walking in the snow.

With the need for relaxation satisfied by the music, now starting to sound quieter, Mars sunk into a deep, restful sleep, in quality comfort.


	9. Candice of Snowpoint City

**No...! I failed to get this story done before New Year's!**

**Also, Happy New Year!**

* * *

><p><em><span><strong>Chapter nine: Candice of Snowpoint City<strong>_

**Snowpoint City: next morning**

Mars was sitting in a fine dining restaurant just in a large room across from the lobby. Inside the restaurant, a chandelier hung above on the ceiling, with Mars sitting at a white tablecloth-covered table with candlelight and some flowers. Mars had a window seat, where she could see the citizens of Snowpoint City start their day. For the Pokémon Trainer, she started off her day with a steaming cup of mocha while her Pokémon had healthy servings of breakfast. Mars, likewise, started to eat hers.

Check-out came at the marble-floored lobby after. A newly rejuvenated Mars stood at the desk to return her room key, and was still dressed in her black sleeveless dress over a dark red sweater and black sweatpants. Her all-purpose running shoes were on in place of her boots.

"Thanks for staying at our hotel," said the receptionist.

"By the way," Mars quickly interrupted, "is there another way to get back to inland Sinnoh _without_ going through Route 217 and Mount Coronet? I really don't want to go that way again."

The receptionist pondered a moment before searching details on his computer. Mars patiently waited for the receptionist to finish before he said, "A ferry leaving for Sunyshore City will depart in two days from the port. Another ferry, bound for Canalave, will leave Snowpoint City four days from now."

Knowing that Sunyshore City was located in the far eastern corner of the Sinnoh region, as opposed to Canalave City located in the west (that is, west of Mount Coronet), Mars had to take the Canalave City-bound ferry. Besides, her home in Floaroma Town was in the west as well, and Canalave City was considerably closer to the town.

"Thank you," Mars said. "Er… if you don't mind, I'd like to extend my stay for four more nights, if that's alright."

"Not at all," the receptionist replied. "That will be an extra 52,000 Pokédollars, please."

Mars paid with her banking card again before she left the hotel to start her day. _Looks like I'll be staying here for a few more days, after all_, she thought.

The first thing on Mars' agenda was to go acquire her eighth Gym Badge (although numerically, this was supposed to be her seventh were it not for the cold climate).

Upon leaving the hotel, Mars was welcomed by the familiar coldness rushing over her legs, thighs, and fingers. As much as Mars had handled the cold journey superbly (then again, maybe not), she would never grow used to the cold, ever.

The Snowpoint City Gym was, like many other Pokémon Gyms, a stadium containing a severe technical course which all Pokémon Trainers must overcome in order to challenge the Gym Leader. For this Gym, Mars came face-to-face with a refrigerated stadium contained under an ice-themed roof. The floor was made of tiles and tiles of ice flooring that were nearly frictionless. Boulder after boulder of massive snowballs had to be pushed across the room falling and rising up slopes of ice, so as to clear a straight path.

Mars' only complaint was the inside was too cold.

* * *

><p>"I'm surprised you even made it through all that so quickly," commented Gym Leader Candice, having the appearance of a young adult schoolgirl. "I've heard from fellow colleagues already about a particular Trainer has been plowing through every Gym in record time."<p>

"But…" Mars raised an eyebrow, and knowing there was a catch somewhere.

"But seriously, I wasn't expecting the Trainer to be you, Mars," Candice said. "Since when were you allowed to roam free in Sinnoh?"

Candice now wished she hadn't said that the moment the words left her mouth. Was it even the best topic to bring up at a time like this? And especially when she met Mars personally for the first time? It was true Mars was part of Team Galactic and all, but now…

"I've been asked that like a hundred times," Mars duly answered, to Candice's relief. "A Pokémon Ranger helped me clear my criminal record via negotiation with the International Police. I've been living in Floaroma Town since."

Candice smiled. "That's nice to hear, and here you are, coming here to Snowpoint City by ferry."

"I walked here," was the defiant answer.

Candice couldn't help but laugh.

"Seriously?!" Candice threw her head back. "I'm surprised you're not wearing a coat right now, let alone a scarf. Aren't you cold?!"

"Granted, it's a little warmer in here than outside," Mars sniffled, and then sneezed. "Ah-choo! But you know… I don't like the cold in any way."

Candice reached for her first Poké Ball. "Then maybe a classic Pokémon battle should get your blood going."

Mars grinned and reached in her bag for the Poké Ball holding Purugly.

A Froslass emerged from Candice's Poké Ball, and Purugly burst out of Mars' where the two Pokémon landed on the field of battle.

Mars had no idea how strong Candice was, but Team Galactic experience told her that she would be more than prepared to face what was coming. Mars owe her recent victories to the hard training she endured with the ex-criminal organisation (of course, she could do without the criminal activity). Likewise, her Purugly had been through too many battles to consider Candice a real challenge. That is, Mars assumed Candice would be a simple challenger.

* * *

><p>Nevertheless, it was a challenge, and it was already halfway through.<p>

"Blizzard!" Candice directed.

Froslass flew into the air to whip up a blasting snowstorm in Purugly's direction. Purugly leapt over the blast but she still sustained some harm when she landed, and by then the blizzard had subsided.

_I can't bring down Froslass with Normal-type moves,_ Mars thought, _she's a Ghost-type! _Bite would make the most sense, as Mars analysed possibilities and weaknesses. Only an elite Trainer could determine the basic stats of speed, offense, and defence by merely looking at the battle's progress. Sadly, Mars was not that kind of elite Trainer, so she would have to take each battle cautiously. Like this.

"Bite!"

Purugly leapt at Froslass with a menacing fanged mouth and performed a single, clean, attack. Despite the crimes of Team Galactic, Mars had to credit the former crime organisation for teaching her the art of battling. The tension in the air was such that it could have boiled over.

And speaking of boiling, Mars' blood ran hot.

* * *

><p>"…and as an accolade for winning this heated battle, here's the Icicle Badge."<p>

Mars, grinning, received the badge Candice placed into the former's hand and put the badge into the remaining empty slot in her badge case. It, like most of her other badges, was shiny and cold to the touch.

"You had seven badges already?!" Candice raised her eyebrows at Mars' complete badge collection. "I'm surprised. Traditionally, Pokémon Trainers would go to Volkner's Gym last. They say he's more challenging than I am, and Trainers usually challenge me before him…"

"Yeah, well…" Mars closed her badge case, "that's pretty much half the reason I went there before coming here. The other half is because… I hate the cold."

Candice smirked at Mars. "So how long are you going to stay here? Not for long, I'm guessing."

"As much as I hate to say it," Mars said as she began taking her steps to the Gym door, before turning around, "I have to catch a ferry in four days, so I'm stuck here in this cold place for four days. Four days! Honestly."

Candice's eyes brightened. "Then how about I show you around the city?"

* * *

><p>Within the next four days, Mars followed Candice around every key landmark of Snowpoint City. They crossed bridges stretching over frozen rivers and flowing rivers alike. Snow fell lightly on the city as they visited château hotels, museums, restaurants, retail shops, and a chocolatier.<p>

Even at the port, Mars saw ships unloading colossal containers of goods on and off the docks. Why there were even intelligently designed office buildings in the city and some overlooking the port! Because of these sights, Mars came to realise Snowpoint City was a _lot_ bigger than she thought.

"You can probably tell, this port is the pretty much the lifeline of all of Snowpoint City. It's the main area for trade and is the city's leading centre of commerce. Goods for the grocery stores, for example, hotel supplies, maintenance supplies for the city, etcetera, all come through the port first. The business in the port is so hectic that there're like ten thousand workers in the offices alone."

"But don't get me wrong," Candice quickly added. "We get hundreds to thousands of visitors to Snowpoint City arriving at the port as well. There's a ferry service accessible through there."

Mars, sensitive to the cold, already felt her fingers freeze up already. Although it wasn't snowing at all in the city, the natural cold was always too much for Mars to handle. Besides, she wasn't wearing her jacket, and she left her scarf at home.

"A coffee break, I suppose," Candice sighed.

"Hey, I'm not used to the cold like you are," Mars complained. "At least cut me some slack?"

They made their way toward a nearby café to grab a hot drink and a light snack. Mocha and a cream cheese bagel for Candice, coffee and yogurt for Mars. As they enjoyed their break Mars took time to look at her surroundings: a street laden with snow was the main road of this area, multi-storey restaurants stacked high in a single building, and a movie theatre.

It was a wonder how this city could prosper for a place way too cold, but Mars guessed Candice's Gym must have played a part in attracting visitors.

Lastly, they went to visit a residential bloc in the northern suburb of the city, where evergreen trees covered in frost and white crystals were more abundant than that of the stretch of Snowpoint City.

"At least half the community, particularly those with families, live in private houses here, unlike the apartments in the city," Candice explained. "At least, that's what I think."

"Come to think of it, how does Snowpoint City manage to keep so much power for its use?" Mars asked. "It's a real wonder how."

Candice paused to think.

"Uh… good question," she replied. "I think that our main source of energy comes from a hydrogen plant at the edge of the city. Apart from that, we run on generators."

Mars nodded, and then a sign caught her eye.

"What's that?"

Candice glimpsed back for a brief moment, and said, "Oh, Snowpoint Temple? You definitely wouldn't be interested in that…"

* * *

><p>Truth be told, Candice was right. It wasn't interesting, and mainly because a local civilian stood there blocking the entrance. Judging from the looks of her, she wasn't going to let anyone in.<p>

"She's always so strict on visitors who want to visit the temple," Candice said. "She only accepts 'the chosen'."

"What's actually in there?" Mars was curious already.

Candice slightly grinned. "The say a legendary Pokémon who moved mountains sleeps deep within. From what I gather, there are three legendary Pokémon who must work together to awaken it, anyway. That lady over there stands day and night stopping almost anyway from going through."

The Snowpoint Temple looked like an ideal temple with stone columns upholding the entrance and a stone roof fragilely kept above the entrance. For the civilian guarding the entrance just outside, she was just standing there unmoved.

"I kind of feel sorry for her," Mars muttered.

"Fortunately, she lives at the closest house from here in the restaurant bloc," Candice said. "If nothing else, Snowpoint City pays her to do it. I myself have clearance to go in, but that's another story for another time."

The thought of being paid to stand around seemed too ridiculous to comprehend. Sure, being paid to stand around seemed good, but to _permanently_ stand around in cold conditions like these was hard to handle. After ten minutes, Mars and Candice turned around to head back to the city.

* * *

><p><strong>One more chapter...<strong>


	10. Journey's End

**I have failed to meet my target to finish this story before New Year's. Badly.**

**And I could have finished it now...**

**This is the unofficial last chapter of 'Journey to Snowpoint City', by the way!**

* * *

><p><em><span><strong>Chapter ten: Journey's End<strong>_

**Snowpoint City: three more days later**

After four days of touring Snowpoint City, Mars finally got to checkout from her château hotel, alongside her Pokémon – that is, Purugly. Her other Pokémon were resting peacefully inside their respective Poké Balls.

"Finally leaving today, aren't you?" the receptionist asked.

"You got it," Mars said, as she turned in her key. "As much as I'd like to stay, it's really cold here for my taste."

The receptionist rolled his eyes, seeing that Mars wasn't even wearing a jacket, but only the same clothes as usual: red sweater, sleeveless black dress, black pants, and the all-purpose running shoes.

"You have around three hours before boarding the ferry," he said.

With a word of thanks, Mars packed her bag, her badges, and left for the port.

* * *

><p><em>It's SO cold!<em> Mars thought, even though it was only ever the same cold she experienced for the past four days.

It seemed, Mars figured, that the experience here was definitely worthwhile, especially going through and enduring the treacherous cold of Route 217. Snowpoint City, with all its prosperity, made the snow and cold to be actually welcoming.

Upon walking out and leaving the hotel, Mars saw Candice waiting outside.

"Uh… hi?" Mars timidly greeted. It seemed odd that Candice was waiting outside just for her. "There's really no need to join me."

"It's actually not every day I get a challenger who went through the lengths of Mount Coronet, Route 216, and 217 _at night_. Most usually just take the ferry," Candice said. "I think it'd be worth to spent a little more time with someone who managed that. Mind if I accompany you to the port?"

Mars was taken aback at first, as it seemed strange that Candice was giving her merit for a minor achievement, but she gave a heartwarming smile after. "Thank you, Candice."

Despite the cold, there were lots of sunshine lighting up and heating the day.

They crossed stone bridges and cherry blossom trees, with their leaves and petals falling away. The same cafés and plazas, with their lampposts now very dim due to the daylight, continued doing their work to make Snowpoint City lively. Mars even took note of the restaurants she had dined in for dinner, or had requested takeout meals from smaller ones.

Mars and Candice even bypassed a major plaza, where a fountain boasted and blasted water high into the air, and surrounded by more château-style buildings each unique in their own way to prevent confusion, Mars noticed.

Along the way, they passed the HSBC bank as well.

"Getting employment here is relatively easy," Candice said, "because Snowpoint is so far in the cold region and the climate makes it undesirable to live, in spite of our comfortable homes. Even so, Snowpoint City has been thriving, and we have tones of local staff as you might have noticed. Hotels, the port, and HSBC – in particular, are all loaded with well-paid staff."

"What about medical?" Mars asked, while walking past a cherry blossom tree. "I mean, I've been to the Pokémon Centre and all, but what about –?"

"A hospital, like for us?" Candice interrupted. "Of course we have one."

They had to walk for quite a while through streets and plazas before being able to approach the port, whilst passing by the port's main office building where local citizens dressed in suits and dresses walked in with heavy-looking briefcases to begin their office hours.

"I grew up in Snowpoint City," Candice grinned, "and from what I learned about Snowpoint City: a lot of time, money, and resources were invested into the port when Snowpoint City was just a humble town. Now, with all the material and resources a few blocks away, it's all thanks to the port that Snowpoint was transformed into the city it is now today."

"I'll admit, I did see pictures of Snowpoint City when I was younger," Mars added. "I didn't think Snowpoint City had gotten _this_ big when I got here!"

* * *

><p>Inside the port, Mars had to check-in for her ship only by using her hotel's pretexts – that is, she had a prepaid ticket from the hotel. After being granted immediate entry, Mars decided to chat with Candice a little more before she went to the boarding gate. It would probably be too long before Mars would see her again.<p>

"Typical prodigies start their journey when they're ten-years old," Candice recalled. "I'm not surprised you started that opportunity a year ago, nor am I surprised at how quick you're plowing through it."

Mars rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm no prodigy, for sure. I guess I owe some of that battle skill to training with Team Galactic. Besides, apart from my journey to collect badges, I also run an independent berry-growing business. Between berries and my journey, I really can't spare time to travel. I'm lucky to even have time to come all the way here!"

The ferry's horn sounded. The time to leave was very near now.

"I'm sure that your journey was worth your while," Candice concluded. "Wasn't it?"

"Um…" Mars shivered, thinking of her experience at Route 217. "I still think it's too cold. You don't count, since you _live_ here."

Candice smiled, and gave Mars a quick hug (in which, after receiving a small surprise at first, Mars hugged back). "Have a safe trip, Mars."

Mars smiled, and then began boarding the ferry whilst shortly waving good-bye. Candice, likewise, also shortly waved good-bye, and by the time the ferry started to go mobile, she turned around to head back to her home – Snowpoint City.

**Snowpoint Coast**

Although there were no blocks of ice in the waters to obstruct the ferry's path, and in spite of the smooth ride, it was still a cold trip, which explained why Mars chose to lounge in the ferry's indoor café.

"It's sure faster to take the ferry back, for sure," Mars said to Purugly. The tiger-cat Pokémon, on the other hand, yawned and dozed away. Needless to know, the ferry would route around the land region of Snowpoint City due west, effectively navigating around the pinnacle and edge of the Sinnoh region, where after passing Acuity Lakefront, the ship would begin travelling toward Canalave City.

Already, from the western waters, Mars could see the rocky edges of Mount Coronet from here despite the distance. In fact, it still looked monstrous in size from where she was!

* * *

><p>The cold climates of the frozen regions of Sinnoh slowly faded into the more temperate climates of the mainland, with less wind and snow, and more lush-green trees populating Sinnoh's forests, as Mars could see from the window.<p>

Nevertheless, despite the change in climate, there was still a lot of snow. Snow darted over the majority of landscape as Mars saw it. If not counting Mount Coronet, which by default always had an abundance of snow, the temperate trees had snow covering them, although there wasn't enough snow to make the trees appear like they didn't belong there. The dense fog, Mars deduced, must have some particles of snow in them, but since it (Mars figured) was warmer here the fog must have been a product of the warm and cold air pressures.

But it didn't matter, since the fog was only temporary and Mars was soon ferrying through clear visibility again. Furthermore, the ferry wasn't sailing through the fog neither did it leave the fog behind. On the contrary, thanks to the crew's expertise, the ferry was sailing _beside_ the fog!

Beside the fog. Impressive. Mars was impressed.

Back in the café, Mars was quietly enjoying a delicious cookie for herself. According to the café staff, the cookies were freshly hot from the oven, and Mars happened to arrive at the right time.

"I can't believe I've gotten all eight badges already!" she said to herself. Now that she thought of them, they _did_ need a little cleaning. She took out her badge case and opened the cover to examine her eight hard-earned badges.

Indeed, her badges were covered in dark stains and dust from all that travelling. With nothing to do but wait for the ride to be over, Mars took the time to clean them thoroughly. She picked up the first badge, the Coal Badge, and started to wipe and polish it.

Sixteen minutes of thorough rubbing and wiping later, Mars would be done.

And another eight minutes later, she would be playing with her badges like a musical instrument. Simply, she had to hit the badges to produce a musical note (using a little metallic rod that had conveniently been packed with the badge case!).

Sixteen minutes later, her Pokémon would be playing with the badge case with her!

**Canalave Coast**

The sunlight glowed reminiscently onto the waters around the ferry. Now, with the extent of the ferry's journey, Mars was travelling in absolutely clear visibility, and the light reflected off the water's surface like diamonds and pearls. Looking out the window, Mars saw the sun hovering above Mount Coronet.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning our arrival to the port of Canalave City. Passengers, please prepare to disembark at the main gangway._"

"Say, girls, how about we take a breather outside?" Mars asked her Pokémon.

They were happy to oblige.

* * *

><p><em>Ah…<em> Mars thought.

On the deck outside, Mars was welcomed by the warmer climate of western Sinnoh combined with the ocean breezes and wind. Naturally, Mars should have been cold from the wind alone, but the warm climate and sunlight made up for it.

Below, in broad daylight, Mars and Purugly saw the ferry tear through the waters like a ribbon being divided by a pair of scissors, which ended up as waves reflected in the light.

In the clear horizon, Mars saw the buildings of Canalave City come into sight. If she wanted to leave early, she should have started heading for the main gangway already. Unfortunately, she didn't want to leave the refreshing view right now, nor did her Pokémon. Sadly, it lasted a mere eight minutes before the view of Canalave City grew larger. Eight minutes were enough.

* * *

><p>The ferry's speed passively slowed down as it neared the port city. In perspective, the city was divided by a wide canal, and was only connected by a large twin drawbridge that would be mechanically raised should a ship want to pass through. However, the route was mainly for private ships. The port itself was located directly against the coast.<p>

The civilian port for transport was, unsurprisingly, located beside the main port.

Mars was waiting in the middle deck of the ferry, preparing for disembarking as the ship cruised to a slowing stop at the port. Ferry staff and port officials began ensuring the ferry was secure and the gangway began to lower. For her part, Mars had her bag with her and her Pokémon were returned back into their Poké Balls.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Canalave City. Please ensure you've taken all your belongings with you, and disembark at the main gangway. Thank you for travelling with us and we wish you a pleasant day._"

The process of connecting the gangway to the port did take a while. When the time finally came to unload, Mars felt a whiff of nostalgia once she had set foot at the Canalave City grounds. It was as if she had missed the warmth of land a lot, but yet she still missed the coolness and beauty of the Snowpoint City region. If there wasn't a better explanation, Mars had mixed emotions.

* * *

><p><strong>There we have it, the unofficial last chapter of the story!<strong>


	11. Epilogue: Home Again: Floaroma Town

**And lastly, here is the final chapter of 'Journey to Snowpoint City', a subsidiary and spinoff of Catharsis, as part of the Catharsis timeline.**

**Here, Mars' journey to Snowpoint City is truly finished. For those who are unclear about Mars' parents, please read 'Christmas This Year', which is the prequel to this story. Enjoy the read!**

* * *

><p><em><span><strong>Epilogue: Home Again: Floaroma Town<strong>_

**Canalave City: midday**

Now Mars was wandering the streets of Canalave City, where the iconic library stood at the far end of the city, and the port faced the coastline. In truth, Mars wanted to head to her home first; first by travelling to neighbouring Jubilife City and then detouring to the road to Floaroma Town.

But actually, before Mars could even think about Floaroma, her mind felt like visiting her parents first, who had moved to Canalave City.

Slowly, Mars walked away from the port and past the high-rises and houses of the port city. She knew well enough that her parents lived in a house across the library, having been told since last Christmas, so Mars saw to walking across the mechanical drawbridge to the other side of Canalave City.

Although the ocean breeze made the atmosphere in the city a little chilly, it was certainly and significantly warmer than that of Route 216 and 217, not to mention Snowpoint City. It wasn't a blistering wind. It didn't have snow. No ice. Nothing cold. That suited Mars just fine.

Nevertheless, being the girl she was, the ocean breeze was cold enough such that she felt a lot of heat drain from her thighs and her arms. Still, she preferred to stay dressed in her usual attire, but a coat was still needed to stop the suffering. Reluctantly, Mars took out the coat in her bag and wore it on.

On the way past the library, there was a posted sign near the door reading "Berries! Berries! Freshly Picked!" in neatly printed writing, not to mention a permanent kiosk. Upon close examination, to Mars' amusement, the berries were those imported from her business in Floaroma Town and were sold from the kiosk. The kiosk, in short, was an outlet.

Mars eventually made it to the doorstep of her parents' house. Despite being in close proximity with _her_ home in Floaroma, Mars visited her parents' house infrequently, due to her busy travels around Sinnoh or ventures in the berry market.

When she knocked on the door of the two-storey house, Mars waited for a half-minute before the door swung wide open.

"Hi, mom," Mars greeted.

Mars' mom seemed surprised at first to see her daughter here at a time like this. That is – arriving without notice, but then she hugged Mars after. "Oh! Mars… Long-time no-see. Well, maybe not. It's only been a week or two."

They broke the embrace, and then Mars followed her mother into the home. To be honest, it was very modern compared to the last time Mars had been here. Every time she came there was always something slightly different about the house, like new furniture or shifts in positions or the smell of different kinds of food good and bad…

"Where's daddy?" Mars asked, as they went to sit down at a lounge room complete with (Mars noticed) a coffee maker, a snack fridge, and a near paper-thin TV. They went into the room but did not sit down yet.

"Off to work, as usual," her mom replied. "He won't be back for a few more hours, when he finishes his office hours."

Mars allowed her Pokémon to roam around the house as the Trainer sat down on one of the lounge chairs. Her mom, on the other hand, did not sit down yet, but instead went to the coffee maker instead.

"So, Mars. Want anything to drink?"

"Tea, please, mom."

By the time Mars' mom had finished preparing the hot drink, with milk and sugar, she saw Mars toying around with her badges when she set down the steaming cup in front of Mars.

"So… Mars. How was your day?" she asked.

Mars stopped playing with her badges and looked up, like she was frozen in thought (and she was!), while feeling the heat flow back into her body. "It's a long story."

**Canalave City: twelve hours later…**

Mars remained in Canalave City for twelve hours straight, in which she had ample to see her father when he came back. With her parents, and her Pokémon, Mars ventured around the city for a while. To think she had her fill of touring a city like Snowpoint City could have been enough for her, but Mars was optimistic on looking around a little more. Plus, Mars quite enjoyed spending time with her parents walking around the city.

After the twelfth hour, when it was dusk, Mars began walking to the city border with her parents.

"You have to go back to Floaroma Town already?" her dad said. "Well, it's not like you drop by Canalave City every week, which you do."

Mars smiled and hugged her parents for a while before leaving for Jubilife City. "I'll try to drop by next week if I can. Bye, mom. Bye, dad."

* * *

><p>Indeed, the trip was considerably shorter than that of Route 216 and 217. Only grass got in Mars' way, and thankfully there wasn't a lot of it either thanks to joint development efforts between Canalave City and Jubilife City. There was plenty of paved road, but there was enough that the ecosystem around the road was preserved.<p>

After many, many, minutes of walking, no sooner did Mars reach the edge of Jubilife City, and when Mars headed in the direction of Floaroma Town, she was back on the grounds of a short, but very familiar, road.

That is, Route 204: the gentle connection existing between Floaroma Town and Jubilife City.

**Floaroma Town: dusk**

The sun had almost set down by the time Mars had arrived at Floaroma Town, no thanks to the pace she was walking at. Under general circumstances, most of Sinnoh would have already been dark by now. But the Floaroma community, which was located on a flat meadow at ground level and on the west side of Sinnoh, still had the luxury of experiencing way was left of the daylight – where sunshine glittered on the lime-green grass and blossoming flowers of the town.

Mars, as fast as she knew it, finished her walk through Route 204 and was at the town gates.

She sighed at the familiar sight.

"Back home again," Mars felt a rush of emotions, like goosebumps, overwhelm her senses. As a personal reward, Mars released Purugly and Kangaskahn from their Poké Balls before walking in the direction of her house.

Purugly and Kangaskahn were likewise relieved to be back. They followed Mars around the town streets, past the Pokémon Centre, and finally behind the Flower Shop, where Mars' house was strategically located.

Approaching the steps of her front door, mars unlocked the door to enter the welcome premises of her innovative-appearing house hidden under a humble-looking exterior. With all the installations and renovating she did over the past while, such as polished wood and frosted glass, Mars welcome the feeling of home.

"Oh, hey, Bronzor," she greeted her third Pokémon – the one she didn't take for the journey. Bronzor perked at seeing Mars and the other two Pokémon rush into the house at once. What was Bronzor's first reaction? Bronzor danced in the room in midair. Purugly marched in first and curled up on the carpet, whereas Kangaskahn willingly went back into her Poké Ball.

Once Mars placed her bag on the glass table, unloaded the contents, hanged the snow gear on the sofa to dry, and rested her badge case beside the bag. Already feeling exhausted, despite having done nothing much since travelling from Snowpoint City, Mars propped herself on the low sofa to rest.

Finally, the toughest journey in her experience as a Pokémon Trainer was over with. It may have been equally challenging for any Trainer, no surprise, to take on the mighty adventure through Mount Coronet to Snowpoint City. But to Mars, in particular, this was a journey that really tested her physical limits. At least she earned the Icicle Badge and made a friend in Candice, which was well worth the effort.

Now, Mars could stay at home now and put her exhausted self to rest.

* * *

><p><strong>From 122 Generation, thank you for reading Journey to Snowpoint City.<strong>


End file.
